NYC News Round Up Mid October 2021

MTA Ridership Bouncing Above the Halfway Line, Columbus Day Weekend Travel Numbers, Movies & Theaters Attendance Update, Demographics of Office Workers Returning to Work in NYC and CoVid Vaccination Progress NYC NYS & USA

October 12, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will range from the low to the high 70's throughout the week, while the temperature lows will be in the 60's all week. Winds will be 4 - 8 mph all week. Humidity will range from the mid 70% to mid 80% Tuesday and Wednesday, dropping to between the mid 60% - 70% range on Thursday and Friday. No rain is in the forecast until Saturday, so you can get the update in our Friday post.

The photo at right was taken a few weeks ago in Grand Central Station. Things have a come a long way from where they were a year ago.

 

MTA Ridership Running at 45% - 65% of 2019 Volume

Both the subways and buses are running at near or over half their pre-pandemic ridership. While that may not be great news, it's encouraging, as we've been tracking the MTA's progress since the pandemic hit, and these numbers are about the best posted.

It's important to put things in context, and that is that NYC tourism contributes to MTA usage and it's still nowhere close to normal [like the MTA ridership numbers], and many white collar workers are still working remotely because many large Manhattan based corporate operations delayed their plans to return to the office in September 2021 - kicking the deadline to January 2022 because of the CoVid Delta variant surge.

I wish the non-vaxers would quit listening to the hypocritical pundits on Fox News, the NY Post & WSJ who are reportedly all - or mostly - vaccinated, including the Australian born billionaire and Goebbels-like owner himself, Rupert Murdoch.

 

A Return to Economic Normalcy Was Slowed Down by the Delta Variant & Vaccine Ignorance Spread in part by Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post & WSJ

The Delta variant surge was made possible, in part, by those protesting vaccinations. Prior to Rupert Murdoch's aquisition of the dominant share of American nationally branded daily news media - getting vaccinated against deadly diseases was considered common sense in this country.

But Murdoch's overwhelming share of American mass media, and his divisive disinformation tendencies, seemingly used to extort favors from the pols he helps get elected, has made CoVid cannon fodder of the ignorant people in his audience who trust his mass media outlets. Murdoch controls Fox News, the WSJ, the NY Post, Harper Collins Publishing and he and his allies appear to have taken control of ABC News since the inverted acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets in March of 2019. But I digress.

Back to vaccinations. As early as the Revolutionary War, while the Founding Fathers were birthing this nation, General George Washington ordered all of his men in the Continental Army to get vaccinated against smallpox, as it was ravaging the troops.

According to Health.mil - the official webstie of the military health system -

"... An estimated 90% of deaths in the Continental Army were caused by disease, and the most vicious were variants of smallpox, according to the U.S. Library of Congress ..."

Please don't take my word for this and go see their report for yourself at - https://health.mil/ . When you get to the site, go to the search box on the upper right and type in - george washington vaccinations. See their website image at right, at the top of this report.

 

Columbus Day Weekend Air Travel at 80% of 2019

According to the TSA, the agency that screens passengers at our nation's airports, airline passenger travel for the Columbus Day weekend was about 80% of the 2019 pre-pandemic baseline. Given there are still issues with international travel, those appear to be pretty strong numbers, boding well for the end of year holidays. So if you're planning a Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, New Years trip, you might want do more than start thinking about booking your flight.

All of the major airlines, except Delta, require their employees to get vaccinated. Delta requires new employees get vaccinated, but allows existing employees to avoid vaccination by submitting to frequent testing and all Delta employees are required to wear masks whether they are vaccinated or not.

It's important to note that the huge uptick in domestic air travel occurred in spite of the fact that all airline passengers must wear masks, and must provide a proof of CoVid testing within three days prior to air travel.

The photo at right was taken a few weeks ago in Union Square Park at the farmers market. Things have a come a long way from where they were a year ago.

 

More Corrections for the WSJ & Fox News - America's Disinformation Newsroom

Fox News continues to be America's Disinformation Newsroom. This weekend Fox News passed along reports that the Southwest Airlines massive flight cancellations this weekend were the result of Biden CoVid vaccination mandates.

Southwest Airlines and their pilot union both denied that claim. In an October 11, 2021 report by NPR, we found the following,

" ... Henry Harteveldt, president and travel industry analyst at The Atmosphere Research Group, suggested two other possibilities to the Associated Press over the weekend. One is that Southwest scheduled more flights than it can handle, and operates a "point-to-point route network" that gives each delay a considerable ripple effect. He also suggested that some pilots are calling in sick or refusing to work in opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate that Southwest announced earlier this month. Southwest executives and employees have denied that, even though the theory has been embraced by prominent conservatives including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)..."

So who to trust - the Southwest Airline, its pilots' union and an industry analyst; or 'Lying Ted Cruz' and the Australian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch, and his Fox News propaganda machine?

Murdoch's continual attacks on Biden are his modus operandi, implemented for decades in this nation, Australia and Britain. He and his minions relentlessly attack those who won't give him what he wants, in order to weaken their standing with the voters, in order to pave the way for a Murdoch favored pol who, will give Murdoch whatever government goodies he wants, compliments of the politicans Murdoch helps get elected.

The image below shows a bragging Rupert Murdoch claiming a victory he won for Margaret Thatcher by deceiving his audience, and maligning the opposition with the same combination of rumors, fake news and outright lies that he appears to continue to use to this day.

 

Going to the Movies Again - James Bond 007 Returns

No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's farewell to 007 film, reportedly grossed $56 million over the weekend. This was a bit below expectations, but the winner of the weekend. That said, the biggest post pandemic movie box office hit, remain Sony's Venom, which grossed $90 million in its first weekend earlier this month. Year to date movie box office revenue is up 28% versus 2020 according to Bloomberg.

It's difficult to evaluate movie theater performance, given theaters closed in 2020 from about April 2020 through September 2020, then reopened partially at 33% capacity in NYS [and NYC delayed opening until Spring 2021 (not confirmed)]. The operating latitude / restrictions varied by state. But things continue to improve, as we learn to manage living with CoVid in the air, which appears likely to be sticking around for a while like the flu.

 

The Show Must Go On - Broadway Theaters Returned in September & Look to Stay Open

Broadway reopened in mid September 2021, led by the Aladdin, Hamilton and Chicago. Aladdin was cancelled in late September [the 29th] due to a few positive CoVid tests by folks / actors working in the theater. But given all employees / actors were all vaccinated, the 'breakthrough infection' didn't wreak havoc, per se, and the production reopened two weeks later on October 12th.

The theater-wide vaccination program is credited with providing those infected with protection from hospitalizations and deaths. This is why all 41 Broadway theaters in the district are requiring all attendees to show proof of vaccination and wear a mask - except when eating or drinking in designated areas. And all theaters require the folks working there to be vaccinated, which protects them, their co-workers and ensures, as much as one can, that theater attendees won't get infected while enjoying a show.

 

NYC White Collar Workers Slowly Returning to the Office - August 23% / September 41%

In June of 2021, prior to it becoming obvious that the Delta variant was about to wreak new CoVid havoc, a survey of Manhattan businesses indicated that by the end of September about 60% of the one million white collar office workers would be back in their offices. As of August 2021, an updated survey showed that only 23% of businesses had their employees back in the office and only about 40% were expected back by the end of September.

Assuming the vaccinations hold the line against new variants / severe illness, these numbers should continue to edge up between now and the end of the year. I've used Google as a bell weather for white collar corporations bringing their employees back into the office in Manhattan, and Google is currently projecting a return in January of 2022, as are a few other corporations.

 

CoVid Vaccinations Rates in the U.S., in NYS and in NYC

CoVid vaccination rates continue to edge up. Last week about 7 million Americans stepped up. This was the most since early July. For the nation as a whole, 66% have received at least one dose, while 57% are fully vaccinated. In NYS 72% of the population has received at least one dose, while 65% have been fully vaccinated. And in NYC 72% have been fully vaccinated and 65% have received at least one dose. I believe Vermont is the state with the nation's best informed population, as they lead the country with 79% of the population receiving at least one dose and 70% are fully vaccinated. And Mississippi leads the nation in the other direction, with the most disinformed population, as only 51% of their population has received one dose, while only 45% are fully vaccinated.

Have a nice shortened week.

Things To Do in NYC This Weekend

Columbus Day Parades in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens & the Bronx, and Italian Festival at the Mount on Staten Island, Comic Con Returns to Javits, NY Film Festival at Lincoln Center runs thru Sunday, Nigerian Independence Celebration, Indigenous Peoples Day at Randall Park in the Bronx, Oktoberfest at Bohemian Hall in Queens

October 8, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will range between the high 60's and mid 70's throughout the long weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 60's all weekend. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend, most days nearer to 10 mph. Humidity will range from 70% - 80% Friday and Saturday and from 80% - 90% on Sunday and Monday. There's a 15% - 20% chance of a scant bit of rain on Saturday and Monday, and a 50% chance, predominantly in the afternoon on Sunday of about a third of an inch of rain.

The folks in the photo were walking through the street market at Rockefeller Center a couple of weeks ago. The market continues into the fall.

 

WORK IN PROGRESS. MORE COMING LATER TODAY 10.8.21

 

Things To Do in Manhattan Columbus Day Weekend

UWS _ Friday, September 24 - October 10, 2021 - times vary - NY Film Festival - At Lincoln Center. A film festival including films from around the nation and around the world.

MIDTOWN / UES _ Monday, October 11, 2021 from 11.30 am - 3 pm - Columbus Day Parade - Along 5th Avenue beginning at 44th Street and ending at 72nd Street.

MIDTOWN _ Thursday - Sunday, October 7 - 10, 2021 from 10 am - 7 pm all days, except Sunday when it closes at 5 pm - Comic Con - At the Javits Center at 429 11th Avenue at 36th Street in Midtown. It's an annual festival when folks dress up as comic book / animated characters and enter the Javits where all things animated / comic book related are sold. Tickets $70.

VIRTUAL FOR 2021 _ MIDTOWN _ Saturday, October 9, 2021 begins at 10 am - Nigerian Independence Day Parade - NOT THIS YEAR 2021 - BUT PREVIOUSLY - Starts at East 54th Street and marches south to 44th Street along 2nd Avenue - Manhattan parades - see related Midtown street fair below.

MIDTOWN _ Saturday, October 9, 2021 from 1 pm - 5 pm - Nigerian Independence Day Block Party - Along East 54th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues - Celebrating 61 years of independence - Manhattan street fairs - see related Midtown parade above.

 

 

Things To Do in Queens Columbus Day Weekend

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, October 8, 9 & 10, 2021 - Between 11 am - 10.30 pm - Times vary by day & activities - Durga Puja Sharod Utsav - The Indian Autumn Festival - At 173-15 Horace Harding Expressway - Along 174th St between 59th Avenue and Horace Harding Expressway. www.ecdpa.us/

ASTORIA _ Saturday, October 9, 2021 from 12 noon - 2 pm - Columbus Day Parade - Kicks off from Kaufman Astoria Studios at 34-12 36th Street, marches north on Steinway, west on 30th Avenue and then turns north on 33rd Street ending at Columbus Triangle at Astoria Blvd around 1 pm where there's an ending ceremony. Rain or shine.

BAYSIDE _ Sunday, October 10, 2021 from 9 am - 12 noon - Cars & Coffee - Auto Show - At 212-45 26th Avenue in Bayside. www.facebook.com/queensclassiccarclubinc

ASTORIA _ Saturday & Sunday, October 9 & 10, 2021 - Oktoberfest. At the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden at 2919 24th Avenue in Astoria. Special menu, drink specials and giveaways. Usually there's a pig roast in the garden but not sure what's planned this year as the program appears to have been slimmed down. Not a street fair in Astoria, but an ethnic food & drink event.

 

Things To Do in Brooklyn Columbus Day Weekend

Saturday, October 9, 2021 from 1 pm to 2 / 3 or 4 pm - Annual Columbus Day Parade. Begins at 61st Street and 18th Avenue [aka Cristoforo Columbo Blvd] following a 10.30 am Mass at St. Athanasius Church at 2154 61st Street in Bensonhurst / Mapleton. The parade ends at Benson Avenue where a street fair / festival runs from 4 - 6 pm along Benson Avenue between 18th Avenue and 19th Street. Brooklyn street fairs in Bensonhurst.

 

Things To Do in Bronx Columbus Day Weekend

Sunday, October 10, 2021 - Columbus Day Parade - Assembly begins at 11 am & marching begins at 12 noon. Since 1977 - 42nd Annual Bronx Columbus Day Parade - Along Morris Park Avenue beginning at Wallace Avenue marching down to Williamsbridge Road and Lydig Avenue. Parades in the Morris Park neighborhood of the East Bronx. Morris Park street fairs & street festivals in the Bronx. www.facebook.com/Bronx-Columbus-Day-Parade-101926572201946/

Sunday & Monday, October 10 & 11, 2021 - 11 am - 5 pm on Sunday & 2 pm - 4 pm on Monday - Indigenous People's Celebration - On Randall's Island at Ward's Field. St fairs & festivals on Randall's Island.

 

Things To Do in Staten Island Columbus Day Weekend

Friday - Monday, October 8 - 11, 2021 from 6 pm - 11 pm Fri, Saturday 12 noon - 11 pm, Sunday 12 noon - 9 pm, Monday 12 noon - 5 pm - Italian Festival at the Mount. At Mount Loretto at 6481 Hylan Blvd in the Charleston neighborhood of Staten Island [near Prince's Bay & Pleasant Plains]. The event includes food, beer, rides, culture and entertainment. This replaced the Columbus Day Parade celebration in New Dorp starting in 2014. Admission $5 Adults / Kids free.

 

Best wishes for a relaxing Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Weekend.

Columbus Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Columbus Day Weekend

October 4, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Columbus Day Weekend is ony a few days away. Although significantly changed from last year, the CoVid Delta variant is still wreaking some havoc, so I thought you might want some time to plan ahead for the long weekend.

Weather. As of October 4, 2021, the Temperature highs will be in the 70's all four days of the long weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 60's throughout the weekend. There's a 35% chance of a small amount of rain [2/10th's of an inch] between Saturday evening 5 pm and Sunday evening 6 pm. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph Friday and Monday and between 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and Sunday. The Humidity will be between 65 - 75% on Friday & Saturday, and 70 - 80% on Sunday and Monday.

Click for an update on NYC Weather.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in the Bronx.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Brooklyn.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Manhattan.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Queens.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend on Staten Island.

Links to Staten Island & Brooklyn coming Monday night - or more likely - Tuesday 10/5/21.

We'll also have an update with additional events this Friday. Enjoy.

THINGS TO DO HOLIDAY WEEKENDS NYC - LABOR DAY, COLUMBUS DAY & HALLOWEEN

• CLICK here to view our summary reports of things to do in all five 5 boroughs of NYC on Labor Day Weekend, Columbus Day Weekend and Halloween.

Things To Do in NYC This Weekend

NY Film Festival continues at Lincoln Center & Pulaski Day Parade Returns to Manhattan; Sunnyside Gardens Oktoberfest & Taste of Sunnyside in Queens; BlocktoberFest, Atlantic Antic & 3rd Avenue Festivals in Brooklyn; Randalls Island Park Festival, Night Market and Piazza Belmont in the Bronx & SI Point Lighthouse Festival, Forest Avenue BID Stroll and Opus II Concert on Staten Island

October 1, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. Generally good weather, with the temperature highs around 70 on Friday, and near 80 for the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the 50's Friday, rising to 60 on Saturday and the high 60's on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast for the rest of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but returning on Monday. Humidity will range between the mid 50% to the low 70% for the rest of Friday and Saturday, and then the range will narrow to the mid 60's to mid 70's on Sunday. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph. All in all a pretty nice Fall weekend.

The photo at right shows folks heading into the Governor's Ball at CitiField last weekend.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

UWS _ Friday, September 24 - October 10, 2021 - times vary - NY Film Festival - At Lincoln Center. A film festival including films from around the nation and around the world.

MIDTOWN _ Sunday, October 3, 2021 beginning at 12.30 pm - The Pulaski Day Parade begins at 36th Street and marches north to 53rd Street along Fifth Avenue [free / kids / parades].

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 12 noon to 5 pm - Sunnyside Gardens Park Oktoberfest - At Sunnyside Gardens Park at 48-21 39th Avenue. Arts, crafts, food, pumpkin patch & games open to public. St festivals in Sunnyside Queens NYC.

Sunnyside _ Sunday, October 3, 2021 - Taste of Sunnyside - from 2 - 7 pm. - At Lowerys Wine & Liquor at 40th Street and Queens Blvd in Sunnyside Queens. Tickets $50 - $75.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 12 noon - 4.30 pm - Blocktoberfest. At the Brooklyn Navy Yard at 141 Flushing Avenue in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. Tickets $10 - $75 at eventbrite. CoVid protocols are in effect.

Sunday, October 3, 2021 from 12 noon - 6 pm. 46th Annual Atlantic Antic Festival / Boerum Place North. Along Atlantic Avenue between 4th Avenue and the waterfront [historically it also stretched along Hicks Street and Boerum Place between Atlantic Avenue and State Street]. Approximately 500 food, drink and shopping vendors along with 11 stages of live entertainment. Brooklyn street fairs in Boerum Hill. It's billed as the oldest and largest street festival in Brooklyn.

Sunday, October 3, 2021 from 10 am - 6 pm. 3rd Avenue Festival. Along 3rd Avenue between Bayridge Avenue and 94th Street.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

Sunday, October 2, 2021 from 12 noon - 3 pm - Randall's Island Park Alliance Festival - Near Fields 62 - 63 in Randall's Island, just north of Ward's Meadow on the southeast tip of the island. Cider, cookies, doughnuts, dance class, pumpkin decorating, Latin dance class and live music. The Randall's Island Park Alliance is hosting a harvest celebration. Free.

FORDHAM _ October 2021 EVERY Saturday from about 4 - 10 pm - Bronx Night Market - in Fordham Plaza at East Fordham Road (189th Street) and Third Avenue across from the Metro North Railway Station. This is mostly a market with 35 food vendors in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx.

BELMONT - October 2021 EVERY weekend from 6pm to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1pm to 9pm on Sundays - Piazza di Belmont - Outdoor dining on Arthur Avenue which will be closed to vehicular traffic from East 188th Street to Crescent Avenue during the above mentioned times.

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

Sunday, October 3, 2021 from 1 pm - 2 - 4 pm - Placed Notes Opus II. At the Staten Island Museum at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center in the Randall Manor neighborhood. Tickets are free, but CoVid guidelines remain in effect.

Sunday, October 3, 2021 from 2 - 4 pm - Forest Avenue BID Stroll - Along Forest Avenue from Broadway to Hart Blvd. Organized by the Forest Avenue BID - 718.816.4775.

ST GEORGE _ Sunday, October 3, 2021 from 12 noon - 6 pm. 5th Annual Point Lighthouse Festival - At 200 / The Promenade at Lighthouse Point in the St. George neighborhood. The festival includes live bands, local vendors of arts & crafts, food and programs for adults & kids. $3 suggested donation & $7 with chowder sampling. Staten Island street fairs / festivals in St. George. See lighthousemuseum.org for details.

 

I hope you enjoy your weekend.

The Nature of Democracy is Compromise

How Else Would a Majority of 330 Million People Get Agreement on Anything?

September 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

There are a couple of important legislative bills being debated in the House and Senate. On the one hand you have the Progressive Caucus threatening to hold, or even kill, the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the Senate. And on the other you have a couple of Democratic Senators withholding their votes on passing the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill.

Trump left office leaving a multi-trillion dollar deficit in 2020, and the same is expected to occur this year, regardless of the votes on the pending bills. If both bills pass, these huge deficits could spell significant trouble for American business, the economy and the people employed by them by virtue of impacting the trading rate for our currency vis a vis other currencies around the world. The combination of these bills could significantly devalue the purchasing power of the dollar.

If neither bill passes, Biden along with EVERY OTHER Democrat, would be negatively impacted. By possibly failing to pass at least one of the measures, while holding majorities in both chambers, the Democrats would leave themselves wide open to the opposition labeling them "Do Nothing Democrats". And you can be sure that Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post, Wall St Journal and ABC News would not let that opportunity slip by unheralded, unhyped and unsensationalized by his plethora of putrid propagandists.

There comes a time when one must step back and see the bigger picture. And at present, the bigger picture is that the Democrats can score a BIG WIN, by passing the INFRASTRUCTURE BILL - as that can be a rallying cry for them in the 2022 midterms and beyond. In passing the INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, Biden and the Democrats would have accomplished something that PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICANS FAILED TO DO, with even bigger majorities in both chambers.

It would be very sad, to see the Democrats let this opportunity slip away, because they fail to do what American legislators have done beginning with the inception of the republic - which is to compromise in order to get something done. We are at an important inflection point, voters, so pay heed to who votes which way, so that in 2022 and beyond, you'll know who is so uncompromising, that they will never get anything done.

Senator Bernie Sanders' legislative record is a case in point. In March of 2020, I did a story that, in part, focused on Sanders' legislative record, which was abysmal. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' legislative record where no legislation of any significance was passed.

I like Bernie, and in 2016 found his candidacy to be of great interest. I think he's an important player in politics in our day, and continues to play an important role in the national conversation. But that said, the reason Biden won out for the presidency, is that Sanders he has never achieved anything legislatively. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' candidacy for president in 2016.

Generally speaking, grandstanding doesn't benefit anybody who is a member of the majority party. The majority party is tasked with getting things done. So passing half a loaf, is better than passing nothing.

A recent example of how grandstanding negatively impacted a majority party, was Senator John McCain's grandstanding against passage of the Trump repeal of Obamacare in 2017. By grandstanding, McCain saved Obamacare for all Americans which was good, and also, in part, helped un-elect Donald Trump and the Republicans in 2020, which (depending on your point of view) was also good.

I don't think the Progressive Caucus wants to do the same ... sabotage their own party because they didn't get everything they wanted ... but if they continue to be intransigent - they might.

One last word to all Democrats. And that is that the neither the liberal nor conservative members of your party are the enemy. Democracy is a dialogue, a civil conversation that oftentimes gets heated, but with patience and respect, a path forward is always out there ... somewhere.

My father, when I became impatient and even outraged with events, would tell me that "democracy takes time". Over time I came to see the wisdom of his words, recognizing that it takes time to convince people of a path forward.

Given recent events, I would add to that phrase, "while authoritarian dictates, take no time at all". Which would you rather have?

Economic Snapshot NYC & US - Continued

Non-Vaxers’ Negative Impact on Society, May Retard the Economic Recovery, but Doesn't Stop it

September 28, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Business & Economy / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This Economic Snapshot is continued from last week [see below 9/20/21].

Last week I talked about how the unemployment rate is back to normal, but that about five million fewer people are working than were working in the U.S. just before the pandemic hit in March of 2020.

I also touched upon inflation, which is up this year, but largely fueled by energy price increases, because last year energy prices fell by 15%.

In the chart at right, the Gartner Group predicts the global supply chain for semiconductors will gradually catch up to demand by about the second quarter of 2022. In the second quarter of this year [2021], supply chain bottlenecks were plagued by severe shortages of raw materials and final product. Many, but not all of the severe shortages will be worked through by the fourth quarter of 2021, when the semiconductor supply chain will be facing moderate challenges of catching up to the backlog. See below for summary of another report, which provides a bit different perspective.

 

While Inflation is Primarily Driven by Energy, Semiconductor Supply Chain is at Issue too

There are also bottlenecks in the global supply chain, primarily centered around technology companies that rely on the semiconductors or chips for their products. These industries include automobiles, computers, cell phones, TV's and just about anything else that is run by electricity.

I did some research into the problems affecting the supply of semiconductors and found differing reports about what's affecting global supply. But in a word, I would say it's mostly about China. China supplies about half of some of the critical materials used in semiconductor electronics, and controls some good share of the global manufacturing capacity of semiconductors. After the CoVid pandemic broke out in 2020, China began encountering problems keeping up their production of both materials used in semiconductors, as well as the finished products.

Compounding the semiconductor materials and manufacturing problems, there were also shipping bottlenecks. Many of the shipping bottlenecks were attributed to the management of the Los Angeles harbor, which doesn't operate 24/7 like they do in China, and the harbor reportedly even closes on Sundays. At present we understand there's a queue of ships, laden with cargo, waiting to dock and unload their wares.

The chart above shows that the composite wait time for chips has risen by eight weeks since 2021 began. Nonetheless there are reports that the tight market for some chips, like power management devices, has begun to ease. While the tightness remains in others, like the automotive industry. What remains unclear - vis a vis the extended wait times - is whether companies are overordering now in order to mitigate potential shortages going forward.

 

Just as He did in Business, Trump Exited While Saddling his Successor with a Plethora of Crises, that the Biden Administration Seems to be Slogging Through

It's not as if the Biden Administration hadn't been saddled with enough problems when they took the helm in January 2021. Trump left a raging CoVid pandemic, and sabotaged efforts to mitigate it by failing to tell his followers to vaccinate. Trump did his best to sabotage Americans' faith in their electoral system by failing to acknowledge defeat. Trump left with the economy on shaky ground given the CoVid pandemic still threatened it. Trump left behind the uncertain prospect of safely withdrawing from Afghanistan, having drawn down 11,500 of the 13,000 troops there. Some believe it was Biden who prematurely withdrew the troops, but they must be fans of one of Murdoch's propaganda outlets such as Fox News. Trump absolutely failed miserably to do anything constructive about climate change fires and floods, and in fact, many of the actions Trump took were headed in the carbon creating direction. And Trump left behind unresolved trade issues with the Chinese and an ongoing massive illegal immigration crisis on the southern border. Although to be fair, on the last one, his treatment of illegal immigrants did reduce the numbers of those who tried to gain illegal entry into the nation.

The photo above right shows Mitch McConnell and the Republicans celebrating a $1 trillion tax cut in December 2017. According to an October 20, 2017 PolitiFact report [based on the plan at that time, which has since been modified],

"... in the first year of changes, the top 1 percent are projected to draw a little over half the tax savings. The threshold of 80 percent going to the top 1 percent is projected for the tenth year."

 

Mitch McConnell & the REPUBLICANS' PHONY BRAND of Fiscal Conservatism Laid Bare

During the Trump Administration, the National Debt Rose $8 Trillion or 42% in Just Four Years, SETTING A NEW RECORD

Now Biden faces another Mitch McConnell / Republican inspired government shutdown over the federal debt.

McConnell and the Republicans' phony claims of fiscal responsibility was laid bare for all to see, during the four year Trump Administration, when the debt rose by nearly $8 trillion from $19 trillion to $27 trillion.

The obvious political hypocrisy by McConnell and the Republicans becomes even more disgusting, when you consider that some good measure of it was to fill the coffers of the richest people in the nation and on the planet.

In the midst of all of the crises left by , the Biden Administration has been reaching out to the vested parties in an effort to break the backlog.

 

In Spite of Ongoing Issues, the U.S. Economy Continues to Chug Along

Despite the expected rebound / increase in energy prices, and the unanticipated global semiconductor supply chain snafus, and the CoVid resurgence, the U.S. economy continues to chug along.

As you can see from the Gross Domestic Product graph at right, provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Gross National Product, which is a measure of total U.S. output, pretty much snapped back onto its trendline this year, after a pretty big hiccup in 2020, which was followed by faltering starts, due to CoVid pandemic outbreaks.

Speaking of the Federal Reserve, two regional chairmen stepped down / retired within the past couple of weeks. While they gave other reasons, it appears their 'retirement' may have come early due to some reported questionable securities trades made by the two men [not related to or entangled with one another].

 

Next week we'll look at trade, the dollar, productivity, real estate and the stock market, to see how all these elements affect the outlook for the U.S. economy for the remainder of the year.

SEPTEMBER WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC

Things To Do in NYC This Weekend

San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy ends this weekend, Global Citizen Concert in Central Park, NY Film Festival begins at Lincoln Center in Manhattan; Bronx Native American Festival, Fordham Road Food Fest, Night Market and Piazza Belmont in the Bronx; Great Irish Fair & Sunset Park Fest in Brooklyn, Art on the Fence Show & Beer, Wine & Spirits Fest on Staten Island and Governor's Ball Music Festival & Myrtle Avenue Fair in Queens

September 24, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. Generally good weather with highs in the mid to high 70's all weekend, and the the lows in the low to mid 60's. No rain. Humidity will be around 50 - 60%. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph.

 

Manhattan - Global Citizen Concert, San Gennaro Festival ends this Weekend & NY Film Festival begins at Lincoln Center

CNTRL PARK _ Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 2 - 6 pm - Global Citizen Concert - In Central Park on the Great Lawn - NYC street fairs / festivals Manhattan.

LITTLE ITALY _ Thursday - Sunday, September 16 - 27, 2021 times vary - The San Gennaro Festival. This is an 11 day Italian festival that runs through Sunday, September 27th.

UWS _ Friday, September 24 - October 10, 2021 - times vary - NY Film Festival - At Lincoln Center. A film festival including films from around the nation and around the world.

 

The following video was taken at the Global Citizen Concert in October of 2019.

• CLICK here to view our reports on things to do in NYC in September on the weekends.

Economic Snapshot NYC & US

In spite of Non-Vaxers’ Negative Impact on the Recovery, Generally the Economy Appear to be Steadily Improving

September 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Business & Economy / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

It’s been a while since I have done an economic update, and as we head into the Fall, it seems a good time to look through the tea leaves to figure out where we are and what risks lie ahead between now and the New Year.

The graph at right, created by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows employment in the U.S. from 1940 to date. To the far right of the graph, you can see the huge dip in employment in the Spring of 2020, as the pandemic hit. Since then U.S. employment has recovered, but not yet completely.

Unemployment Back to Normal Levels & Stimulus Winding Down

Unemployment continues to decline, and the unemployment rate reflects a growing economy and a tight labor market. One debated theory about the tight labor market, is that it was fueled in part by some of the generous government spending programs, designed to cushion folks from the pandemic, which some believed kept workers out of the employment market. As of this posting, we’ve not seen any good study that proves or disproves that hypothesis. So for now, I recommend you consider that hearsay, at least until you or I find one or more reliable studies that proves or disproves that hypothesis.

In any event, a good measure of both the federal and states stimulus programs have begun to wind down. Beginning in late Spring / early Summer, both states and the federal government began reducing or withdrawing the funding for extra [federal] and extended [states] unemployment benefits.

• CLICK here to read our multi-part series with a snapshot of the U.S. economy in the third quarter of 2021 Q3 2021 Economic Snapshot NYC.

NYC News Updates & Catch Up

NYC Public Schools Open Monday, CoVid Guidelines Tightening in order to Avoid Illness and Closures & to Keep the Economy Running, Broadway Reopens, U.S. Open Ends with a Youthful Women's Contest & Medvedev Foils What Could Have Been Historical Men's Final by Djokovic, 911 Subway Series - Yanks 8 / Mets 7, Yom Kippur, and 911 Media Blindspot on how the Wars on Terrorism Mutated to a War on Democracy & Truth

September 13, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. Generally good with highs near 80 Saturday and near 90 on Sunday, with the lows around 70 both days and no rain. Humidity will be around 60% and the winds will be 5 - 10 mph.

The image at right shows Murdoch's Fox faking the news about CoVid. Notice how they try to pin labels on CNN [masquerade], the Democrats [politicize / scam], other media [hysteria] and scaremonger about 'other' lockdowns. In the case of the labelers, they are oftentimes accusing someone else of doing exactly what they are doing. In psychology this is called projection, where they project their traits onto others in order to distract whomever they are communicating with, from noticing those traits in them.

 

NYC Public Schools Open Monday with CoVid Guidelines in Place

Mayor de Blasio announced that not only teachers, but also school staff in the NYC Public School system, will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by September 27th.

While there isn't a mandate for children over 12 to be vaccinated [yet?], all NYC public school children are required to wear masks, social distance at three or more feet, and may be subject to health screenings [testing]. The Catholic schools in NYC are not requiring vaccines for teachers or students, but are requiring the wearing of masks.

Additionally the NYC Indoor Vaccine Mandate, announced on August 17th, will begin enforcement on Monday, September 13th. The mandate requires both employees and customers to get vaccinated in order to work at or patronize dining, fitness and entertainment venues when indoors. The mandate will not be enforced by the NYPD, but rather by a slew of other city agencies / departments that already oversee the operations of these businesses.

Vaccination Rates & Mandates for NYC Employees. According to a July 26, 2021 report by Intelligencer, Mayor de Blasio mandated that all municipal employees get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing. At the time the NYPD reportedly had a vaccination rate of 43%, and the NYFD had a vaccination rate of 51% and Corrections had a vaccination rate of 41%. By September 10, 2021 the NYPD vaccination rate had increased to 53%, and the overall municipal employee vaccination rate was 65%, which was in line with the average for New Yorkers generally, where 67% have been vaccinated according to a September 10, 2021 AMNY report.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on CoVid vaccination mandates, reopening schools for in-person learning and Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post & WSJ dishonest reporting of CoVid and the importance of also vaccinating the ignorant.

911 / The War in Afghanistan is Over - but the War on the Truth that put us there - Continues

TV News People Provided Superficial, Dimwitted, Gossipy Accounts of the Withdrawal, & Unfortunately, Far too many of the Print Reports Weren’t Much Better

September 7, 2021 / Fox News Fakes the News / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

Somehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.

"The War is Over. The Twenty Year War in Afghanistan is Over. "

 

This was one of two Murdoch Wars - So his Outlets Seemed to Disminish or Ignore the Human & Taxpayer Costs - Over 170,000 Human Lives & Over $2 Trillion and Counting - and so did the Knuckleheads at the Other News Outlets

Where are the parades? Where are the celebrations? Where are the Congressional and Senate committees and hearings to investigate how we got into the Afghanistan war in the first place? And then why we stayed so long? Who incited this war and then profited from the $2 trillion in spending that the U.S. taxpayer took out loans to pay?

About 2,461 American soldiers died in the Afghanistan War. According to an August 17, 2021 report by the Associated Press, another 3846 American contractors lost their lives, as well as 72 journalists. The Afghanis suffered significant fatalities as well, as 66,000 Afghani military and police died, 47,000 Afghani civilians and 51,000 Taliban fighters.

TV News Provided Scant Real Insight, Information or Understanding Surrounding America's Withdrawal from Afghanistand to the Viewer

In the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?

Because if you’re going to evaluate how effective the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was, you MUST look at prior history, and the Russian withdrawal is the closest, realistic assessment of what the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan could, would or should be. I watched with something bordering between disgust and horror, as the gutted out nationally branded TV ‘news’ organizations ‘informed’ the American people as to what was happening as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan took place before our eyes in real time.

I. The Pied Piper Framed a Dishonest & Negative Narrative about President Biden's Handling of the Withdrawal via his WSJ, then Echoed it with the Nearly Half of the Nationally Branded U.S. Daily Media he Controls, which the Lazy and / or Incompetent Competition then Parrotted

Australian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.

Ever since that narrative was published, it has been used by many of the rest of the mass media, to contextualize or frame presentations made by the corporate press in discussing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not everyone in the mass media was so incompetent or so lazy that they used the mendacious Murdoch’s narrative – thankfully. But eyeballing things, I’d estimate that more than half of them did. I suppose the good news is that there are still a few real, independent-minded journalists operating in our midst.

Murdoch used his Wall St. Journal brand to lead the narrative, because it has a history as a respected publication. Even though respect for the brand seems to have been diminishing ever since Murdoch’s took control of the paper in August of 2007. After the announcement many of the real journalists who could leave, did. Barron’s was included in the acquisition and remains a Murdoch brand today.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Rupert Murdoch's War on Truth in English-speaking democracies including America.

NYC & NYS Continue to Have Lower Murder Rates Than the Rest of the Nation

The Past Couple of Months, NYC Murders have been Below 2019 Levels, and NYC Shootings are Down Double Digits versus 2020, While Gun Arrests Have Doubled vs 2020

August 31, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Crime & Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This is news you're not likely to find in Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's NY Post, Wall St. Journal nor Fox News because it doesn't fit with Murdoch's self-enriching, propagandistic narratives of blaming Democrats for the increase in violent / gun crimes. He appears to use such narratives to get the politicians who will give him tax breaks, and allow him to continue deregulating his industries, so he can make ever more money at the expense of American Democracy.

The NYPD has been working hard to rein in the out-of-control sales and trafficking of guns in the nation, because of the absence of an intelligent debate on national gun control legislation to combat the growing gun violence, and in particular the mass shootings, that started rising again during the Trump Administration and continued rising in the wake of the CoVid pandemic.

 

Year To Date Murders in NYC are Below the National Average & Have Begun Falling Versus 2020

So we're going to take a look at a number of the NYC crime statistics, and then follow up with an analytical look at some of the issues driving gun related violence, before closing with a look at the distorted, deceitful and destructive coverage provided by Murdoch's Fox News & Propaganda.

As you can see by the chart at right, with the exception of GLA or Grand Larceny Auto and YTD / Year To Date Shootings, all NYC crime is either in the single digits or down, versus last year. It's important to note however, that in July shootings dropped by 35% versus prior year [up 17% YTD], while gun arrests were up 134% versus the prior year [up 68% YTD], so the NYPD continues to make good progress in this regard. And murders were down 49% in July versus prior year and down 10% year to date.

The chart at right shows the NYPD Crime statistics for the month of July 2021 and Year To Date 2021. I have also included comparisons to 2019 as 2020 was an unusual year all the way around - including for NYC crime.

 

The Iron Pipeline - Interstate 95 - is used to Transport Guns from Primarily Red Republican States with Lax Gun Laws

The graphic at right shows what is called the 'Iron Pipeline' which is Interestate 95 which runs from New York to Florida. This interestate highway is used to transport guns / weapons across state lines from mostly red Republican controlled states with lax gun control laws to blue states that have passed stronger gun control laws.

Once the guns arrive here, they are illegally sold and are the root of the gun violence and murder problem in New York City and New York State. Thankfully, Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Shea and the NYPD are on top of things, and have been working hard to rein in the problem, even in the absense of national legislative help.

I think President Biden should look into the possibility of using federal powers regulating interstate commerce, to curtail the transport and sale of guns into states that have tighter regulatory frameworks surrounding the sale of murder weapons. And perhaps the district attorneys in our city and state should consider naming the people who sell these guns, as accessories or even accomplices, to the crimes committed with them.

• CLICK here to view the rest of our report on crime in NYC and the American gun pandemic that spiraled out of control with CoVid.

AUGUST WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC

Things To Do in NYC - Unofficial Last Weekend of the Summer

5 Boro Bike Tour, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, Times Square Ferris Wheel, Queens Boro Dance Festival & Vegan Festival Queens, Bronx Food Fun & Concert, in Brooklyn Feast of Santa Rosalia Ending, Revolutionary War Re-enactment, Brighton Beach Jubilee, Cow Parade, AfricanFest on Staten Island CANCELLED & the U.S. Open Begins Monday

August 27, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 90's on Friday dropping to about 80 on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 70's all weekend. It's going to be humid all weekend at about 80%. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. There's a good chance [around 60 - 70%] of about an inch of rain on Friday afternoon through Saturday about midday. And the rest of the weekend is clear.

 

All Boros - The 5 Boro Bike Tour & Cow Parade

On Sunday the 5 Boro Bike Tour begins at 7.30 am in four staggered waves of riders [last one at 9.20 am] in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan and ends at 6 pm near the Staten Island Ferry terminal, after winding through 40 miles in all five boroughs. Proceeds go to Bike New York and you may obtain details at www.bike.nyc.

August 18 - September 30, 2021 - Cow Parade - At various sites in all five boroughs. The cows will be auctioned September 1 - 30, 2021. Hours and locations vary. Proceeds to to God's Love We Deliver which provides meals for the poor - www.glwd.org. For details see - https://www.glwd.org/donate/events/cowparade-2021/meet-the-cows/

You'll also find events happening during the week and upcoming weekends on the linked pages referenced below.

 

• CLICK here to view our reports on things to do in NYC in August on the weekends.

NYC Recent News Roundup

Homecoming Concert Rained Out Halfway Thru, Cuomo to Step Down Tuesday, a Few NYC Census Highlights, NYC Vaccine Policy vis a vis Schools & Businesses, NYC Public Library Update & Biden vs the Distorted Narratives Coming from Murdoch's War Mongering Fox News, Wall St Journal, NY Post & Increasingly ABC News

August 23, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperture highs will be in the low 90's on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday, before falling into the low 80's / high 70's in the following weeks. The temperature lows will be in the high 70's during the week, before falling into the low 70's by the weekend. The Monday rain will end about 4 pm and the rest of the week should be dry. The humidity will be about 80% Monday, falling to about 65% for the rest of the week. Winds will be 5 - 8 mph all week.

 

Central Park Homecoming Concert Rained Out

Prior to Saturday, the weather forecast indicated that the heavy rains would come late Saturday night / early Sunday morning. But alas, that was not meant to be. Instead the rain came several hours early, stopping the Central Park Homecoming concert around 7.30 pm - about two and a half hours after the concert had started.

The rain broke several records, including the most rain in a single hour [nearly two inches] and the most rain in Central Park in a single day [about four inches]. The planet has been breaking a number of weather records this year including the most or almost most fires in the western part of the nation, the first recorded rainfall in northern Greenland, the hottest day on record in Europe [Sicily], one of the great glacial ice shelves collapsed, there's been flooding in Europe and China, and great forest fires in Siberia. Climate change?

• CLICK here for the NYC News Update for August 2021.

Labor Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Labor Day Weekend

August 17, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I know Labor Day Weekend is fully two weeks away, but given the changed landscape due to the CoVid Delta variant, I thought you might want more time to think about how you're going to spend the weekend.

Labor Day Weekend Forecast as of 8/20/21. It's too early as of this posting, to get an accurate weather forecast. We'll provide an update as we get closer to the Labor Day Weekend.

Click for an update on NYC Weather.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in the Bronx.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Brooklyn.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Manhattan.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Queens.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day on Staten Island.

We'll also have an update with additional events next weekend. Enjoy.

Next Gen & CoVid - Still the Talk of the Town

This Report Provides an Update on Why the Downward Trend in CoVid Infections Swung Back Up, the Science Behind the Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, the Lamda & Delta Variants, the Precautionary Wisdom of Continuing to Wear Masks & the Impact of Murdoch Controlled News Outlets Continuous Stream of Mass Media Disinformation

Is it the Patriotic Duty of Every Eligible American to Get Vaccinated?

August 9, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC during the CoVid Pandemic / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I reckon we all wish it weren't so, but CoVid 19 has been resurging with a vengeance these past couple of months, fueled largely by the Delta variant, which at the beginning of May 2021, accounted for less than 10% of U.S. new cases, while today it accounts for more than 90% of all new U.S. CoVid infections. What's most disturbing about this new trend is that even fully vaccinated people can catch the Delta variant, which was largely NOT the case with the original strain [alpha] of CoVid. The infections that are picked up by fully vaccinated people are called 'breakthrough' infections, because they have broken through the immunity protection provided by the vaccines.

In the graphic at right, note the large light blue at the right of the graphic, which denoted the Delta variant of CoVid which grew from almost nothing in May, to almost every new CoVid case in the U.S. in August.

 

The Delta Variant has Changed So Significantly, Hence the New CoVid Reign of Terror

I found a chart that I found of great interest in an August 5, 2021 story in the Gothamist, which was acquired by NPR in 2018. The chart shows how the original CoVid is almost non-existent in the U.S. today, while the Delta variant has risen to represent over 90% of all new cases.

 

The vaccines were developed to address the original CoVid stain, as the Delta variant - as noted above - didn't become a real factor until about May of this year. Thus, the vaccines efficacy in preventing CoVid has been significantly reduced, but thankfully the vaccines are still very effective in preventing the worst possible outcomes which are hospitalizations and death.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the science of the CoVid Delta and Lamda variants, vaccine breakthrough infections, the impact on kids of the new variant, and the importance of masking up and practicing social distancing again.

A Look Back at the NYC Municipal Primary Election Results of 2021

Females Won Big, But Because of Ranked Choice Voting, the Results Trickled in Over the Past Month, & Real Assessments of the Changed Landscape have yet to Follow

August 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The June 22nd election primary for NYC municipal offices has long passed, but a solid look at the overall results of the election has not yet followed. What I will attempt to do today, is to offer provide a top down summary of the results, along with some interpretation of what this means going forward.

 

Women Won Big in the New York City Council Democratic Primaries

One of the biggest changes to municipal government likely to occur following the November election is that the NYC Council will move from less than a third women, to over half women for the first time in NYC history. This assumes most or all of the Democrats win their seats in the general election. This usually happens in a heavily blue state like New York, just as Republican primary winners in Alabama become the likely winners of the general election in that heavily red state. Somewhere between 29 and 31 of the Democratic primary winners in the NYC Council races were women out of a 51 member municipal legislative body.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the NYC Municipal Democratic Primary Election results of June 2021.

Things To Do in NYC This Weekend July 30 - August 1st, 2021

Food, Music, Art Festivals & Movies in NYC this Weekend

July 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. There's a 60% probability of about a third inch of rain beginning sometime between 3 and 6 pm Sunday. The rest of the weekend should be clear. The temperature highs will be around 80 and the lows in the mid 60's all weekend. Humidity will range from 50% - 60% all weekend, except Sunday night when it rises to near 80% due to the rain. The winds will vary throughout the weekend from about 15 mph Friday, to 5 mph Saturday and 10 mph Sunday. All in all, not a bad weather weekend.

 

FYI - On the Great Lawn - NYC Homecoming Concert 2021

• CENTRAL PARK _ Tuesday August 24, 2021 from 10 am - 6 pm - We Love NYC - A big Free HomeComing Concert - On the Great Lawn in Central Park, but must be ticketed, and meet CoVid guidelines. Tickets go on 'sale' on August 2nd and are expected to go quickly at www.ticketmaster.com. Free Manhattan concerts NYC.

 

All Five Boros are Back Online with Live Cultural Programs & Events

But please remain CoVid cautious for your own health and that of those around you by getting vaccinated, wearing masks when indoors or in close proximity to others and by washing your hands regularly.

Here are links to things going on in each borough this weekend.

Things to do this weekend in the Bronx

Things to do this weekend in Brooklyn

Things to do this weekend in Manhattan

Things to do this weekend in Queens

Things to do this weekend on Staten Island

Also see links below, posted on July 16, 2021, to farmers markets, street fairs and free theater, movies, concerts and swimming pools.

Enjoy.

Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Movies in NYC

There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Movies being Shown in all Five Boros Again this Year, Showing that NYC Continues to Make its Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy

July 26, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC continues its efforts to return to normal. We've seen an uptick in white collar workers returning to the city during the week. And tourism appears to be making a comeback, which apparently started in earnest around the July 4th holiday weekend.

Many of the free summer cultural programs, that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past, are making a return - albeit not quite in the full force of recent years - but certainly in a robust enough manner for one to enjoy some free live performances of song, dance and theater, as well as the free enjoyment of outdoor film in the parks.

The following are links to the film events / free movies going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months.

Enjoy.

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Bronx NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Brooklyn NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Manhattan NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Queens NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Staten Island NYC

Weekend Things To Do NYC

Global Ubuntu Festival, The Other Art Fair, Vision Film Fest & Fuzzy Lemons in Brooklyn; Sprinklerfest at Snug Harbor and Fierce & Fabulous Females at the Alice Austen House on SI; Bronx Doc Film Block Party, Bronx Night Market and Castle Hill Street Fair in the Bronx, Street Fairs in Manhattan, Pow Wow at Queens Cty Farm & Feast of St Irene Chrysovalantou in Astoria Queens

July 23, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. There's about a third inch of rain expected Sunday, but at present there's a nice window of clear between the hours of 12 noon and 8 pm. The temperature highs will be in the mid 80's and the lows in the low 70's all weekend. Humidity will rise through the weekend from 40% - 60% Friday, to 50% - 70% Saturday and then from 70% - 80% on Sunday. Winds will rise from 5 mph Friday, to 10 mph Saturday to 10 - 15 mph Sunday.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend NYC

Saturday, July 24, 2021 from 10 am - 6 pm - Castle Hill Avenue Summer Fair - Along Castle Hill Avenue between Starling and Westchester Avenues in the Parkchester and Westchester Square neighborhoods of the Bronx.

Sunday, July 25, 2021 from 12 - 5 pm - There's a Bronx Doc Film Block Party at 614 Courtlandt Street at 151st Street in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx.

July 2021 EVERY Saturday from about 12 noon to 7 pm - Bronx Night Market - in Fordham Plaza at East Fordham Road and Third Avenue across from the Metro North Railway Station.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about things to do this weekend in NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island - including Fabulous Femails & SprinklerFest SI, Bronx Night Market & Bronx Doc Film Party, Pow Wow Queens Farm & Feast of St Irene Chrysovalantou Astoria.

Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Concerts in NYC

There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Concerts being Performed in all Five Boros Again this Year, Showing that NYC Continues to Make its Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy

July 19, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC continues its efforts to return to normal. We've seen an uptick in white collar workers returning to the city during the week. And tourism appears to be making a comeback, which apparently started around the July 4th holiday weekend.

And many of the free summer cultural programs, that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past, are making a return - albeit not in full force - but certainly in a robust enough manner for one to enjoy some free live performances of song, dance and theater, as well as the free enjoyment of outdoor film in the parks.

The following are links to the musical happenings / free concerts going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months.

Enjoy.

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Bronx NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Brooklyn NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Manhattan NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Queens NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Staten Island NYC

Weekend Things To Do NYC

A Number of Prior Year Events aren't Returning, but Many are & Things Definitely Pick up Speed as we Head into August

July 16, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 90's Friday, dropping to the high 80's on Saturday and mid 80's by Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid to low 70's all weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will be between 65% - 75%, Friday rising to 75% - 85% for the rest of the weekend. There will be scattered thunder showers dropping about a half inch of rain on both Saturday and Sunday beginning about 12 noon Saturday and running through the rest of the weekend. But there will by clearings and dry spells, so it's a bit of a hit or miss weekend. Be brave and take your chances, but not without an umbrella.

 

Queens - Cancellations but some fairs

Normally this would be the weekend of the Colombian Parade, Chatpati Mela and the Festival of Flowers in Queens, but for the second year running the organizers decided to err on the side of safety and decided not to return to the streets this year. But there are other street fairs and farmers markets that will be open this year which you can find using the links below.

Manhattan - Cancellations but some fairs

This weekend is also the St. Catherine of Genoa Festival in Washington Heights, but alas it does not appear to be returning this year. The same is true of the Fashion on the Hudson Fashion Show, which won't be back on the runway this July. But there are other things happening this summer like street fairs, farmers markets, free public swimming pools, and free public outdoor theater, which you can find using the links below.

Brooklyn - Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast - Italian

Wednesday thru Sunday, July 7 - 18, 2021 - Times vary but oftentimes begins in the afternoon & runs into the night. The Annual Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast / The Giglio Festival began in 1903. Havemeyer at 8th Street. An Italian food festival with music and dance entertainment and kiddie rides, as well as the cultural hoisting of the Giglio. See olmcfeast.com for details.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about things to do this weekend in NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island - including Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast in Brooklyn and on Staten Island.

Free Things To Do This Summer NYC

Free Theater in the Parks, Free Shakespeare in the Park NYC

July 13, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Summer events have gotten off to a bit of a late start this year due to the uncertainty surrounding the CoVid pandemic. Nonetheless, many outdoor theatrical performances will go on with the show, albeit a bit late and many remain either dormant or permanently closed.

We just finished doing a preliminary round up of who's performing this summer and who's not. We are of the unconfirmed opinion that those who haven't scheduled or publicized any particulars for this season are probably not going to this year.

So here it is by borough. As of this posting we're still finishing up our work on these events, with most posted in some fashion, except for Bryant Park, and Harlem and Washington Heights. This will be done either later today or surely later this week. Enjoy ... or shall I say 'break a leg'.

• Free Summer Theater Plays Bronx Bx
• Free Summer Theater Plays Brooklyn Bk
• Free Summer Theater Plays Manhattan Mhtn
• Free Summer Theater Plays Queens Qns
• Free Summer Theater Plays Staten Island Si

Weekend Things To Do NYC

Go Africa Carnival, Bastille Day Festival, Carnaval de la Cultura Latina, Astoria Park Carnival, The Giglio Festival and Bayridge Summer Strolls, Eric Adams & Curtis Sliwa win Party Nominations for NYC Mayor, U.S. Completes Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan, Chinese Dictator President Xi Jinping is the New Nazi-like Fuhrer, Free Concert Lincoln Center, Free Theater around the City, St Fairs & NYC Parade for First Responders

July 9, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 80's and the temperature lows about 70. The winds will be 3 - 5 mph all weekend. The humidity will be between 65% - 80% all weekend. There will be scattered thunder showers dropping less than a quarter inch of rain between 4 and 11 pm Friday, and Sunday after about 12 noon there will be more chances of scattered thunder showers dropping about a quarter inch of rain. Saturday is the best day of the weekend when no rain is expected.

 

Things To Do This Weekend NYC

In the Bronx -

The Pregones Theater is hosting Sunday night concerts.

UNCONFIRMED BUT BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENING _ Sunday, July 11, 2021 from 12 noon - 6 pm / Free - Carnaval de la Cultura Latina - Along Southern Blvd between 163rd St and Westchester Avenue in the Fox Hurst & near the Hunts Point neighborhoods in the Bronx. This event includes live music and dance entertainment, food and shopping [www.carnavalculturalatina.com].

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about things to do this weekend in NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island including Bastille Day in Manhattan, Go Africa & Giglio Festivals Brooklyn, Carnaval Cultura de Latina & Astoria Park Carnival & SI.

This Weekend NYC Things To Do

Dance Festival in Jamaica Qns, Chocolate Factory Old / New Space Celebration LIC, Gay Pride Parade MHTN, Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit MHTN, 'To Go Liquor Sales' by NYC Restaurants Ends, CoVid Testing, Vaccine & Delta Variant Update, the Impending White Collar Return to the Office & NYC Swimming Pools Open for the Summer

June 25, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weekend Weather. Temperature highs will be in the low to mid 80's all weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 70's all weekend. The humidity will rise from about 60% early Friday to 70% by the end of the day, into the 80% range on Saturday and then falling back to about 70% on Sunday. Winds will be around 10 mph all weekend. There's a 35% chance of a small bit of rain Saturday between the hours of 11 am and 6 pm. Otherwise the rest of the weekend is clear.

THINGS TO DO This Weekend in All 5 Boros

The Stonewall Inn in the West Village has erected a light show to commemorate the Stone Wall Riots in June of 1969 and the first Gay Pride Parade in June of 1970.

Macy's Fireworks will return on Sunday, July 4th at about 9.30 pm on the East River.

Delacorte Theater opens in early July for summer theater.

As of Friday 6.11.21 thirteen of 36 recreational areas in the NYC parks were open.

Immersive Van Gogh opened on June 13 and runs through September 6th at Pier 36. Tickets are $40 / $50 at www.vangoghnyc.com.

Late FYI's. There was a Juneteenth celebration in Harlem in Nicholas Park on Friday June 18th. A statue of George Floyd was unveiled in Brooklyn on 6.18. And the June Central Park Bandshell concerts returned and the Rites of Summer on Governor's Island was held last weekend.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about things to do this weekend in NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island including Gay Pride Parade Manhattan & NYC Swimming pools open.

Weekend Things To Do in NYC over the 4th of July Weekend

See Below for 4th of July Fireworks Shows, Times, Locations as well as Farmers Markets, Street Fairs & Free Public Swimming Pools

July 2, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be around 80 on Friday, Sunday and Monday, falling to about 70 on Saturday only. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 60's on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, rising to 70 on Monday. The humidity will be around 80 on Friday and Saturday, falling to between 60% - 75% on Sunday and Monday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. About a quarter to half inch of rain will arrive each day Friday and Saturday - beginning Friday afternoon and ending Saturday early evening. No rain is in the forecast for Sunday, July 4th, nor Monday. Hooray.

We'll have some more updates on activities this weekend by Friday afternoon, but if you're looking for the times, locales and viewing spots for the July 4th fireworks, click into the story below.

And best wishes for an enjoyable July 4th holiday.

Things Continue to Come Back to Life

We're working to stay abreast of things as the city re-awakens from its CoVid pandemic past. Here are some links to other things going on including Bronx Farmers Markets NYC, Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC, Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC, Queens Farmers Markets NYC and Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC. Here are some links to Manhattan street fairs NYC, Queens street fairs NYC, Bronx street fairs NYC, Brooklyn street fairs NYC and Staten Island street fairs NYC. We'll add more as the summer progresses.

The NYC public park swimming pools, which are free and open to the public opened on June 26, 2021 and will remain open until Sunday, September 12, 2021. We've compiled key information for the free public swimming pools in each borough as follows: 1) Free public swimming pools in the Bronx NYC, 2) free public swimming pools in Brooklyn NYC, 3) free public swimming pools in Manhattan NYC, 4) free public swimming pools in Queens NYC, and 5) free public swimming pools on Staten Island NYC.

Next week there's NYC 4th of July fireworks which are viewable from all five boroughs, one of which has already passed on 6/24, and another scheduled for Tuesday, 6/29. Click these links to specifics related to each borough - 1) Bronx 4th of July fireworks 2021 & Orchard Beach July 4th fireworks BX NYC, 2) Brooklyn 4th of July fireworks 2021 & Coney Island July 4th fireworks BK NYC, 3) Manhattan 4th of July fireworks 2021, 4) Queens July 4th fireworks 2021 & Astoria Park 4th of July fireworks Queens NYC , and 5) Staten Island 4th of July fireworks 2021.

NYC 4th of July Fireworks 2021 Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island

Best Viewing Places / Locations to Watch Fireworks in NYC

June 28, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River again this year. They were shown along the East River in 2014 for the first time since 2008. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied the change, which now spans three years.

But the Macy's July 4th fireworks isn't the only fireworks show in town. In the Bronx there's the Independence Day fireworks at Orchard Beach, in Queens there's the Astoria Park fireworks, in Brooklyn there's the Coney Island fireworks and on Staten Island there's the Raritan Bay fireworks. The Raritan Bay fireworks has been put on hiatus because of CoVid and the Orchard Beach fireworks happened last Thursday. But the rest lie before us, as well as the Long Beach fireworks on Long Island.

Click these links for details to July 4th fireworks viewable from each of the boroughs, including some suggestions on from where to best view them.

• Bronx 4th of July fireworks 2021 & Orchard Beach July 4th fireworks BX NYC
• Brooklyn 4th of July fireworks 2021 & Coney Island July 4th fireworks BK NYC
• Manhattan 4th of July fireworks 2021
• Queens July 4th fireworks 2021 & Astoria Park 4th of July fireworks Queens NYC
• Staten Island 4th of July fireworks 2021
  

NYC Swimming Pools - Free Outdoor Public Swimming Pools in NYC

June 28, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

New York City offers easy access to a wide range of recreational swimming pools. The following is our first attempt to provide you with a view of the range of public swimming pools available in the parks of the entire city. We encourage you to make use of these facilities because they provide healthy, fun, and frequently free or inexpensive entertainment for both individuals and families with children.

Be advised that as of this posting, 6.28.21, masks are mandated in all indoor areas like locker rooms. Please be respectful of your fellow Bronxians, Brooklyners, Manhattanites, Queensians and Staten Islanders.

Click these links to view a listing of swimming pools in each borough, complete with location and contact information, swimming pool sizes, hours and other details.

• Free public swimming pools in the Bronx NYC
• free public swimming pools in Brooklyn NYC
• free public swimming pools in Manhattan NYC
• free public swimming pools in Queens NYC
• free public swimming pools on Staten Island NYC

NYC Municipal Election Primaries are Tuesday June 22nd & a Brief Look at the Root Causes of Violent Crime in NYC

NYC Mayoral Primary Tuesday, June 22nd - also NYC Comptroller, NYC Public Advocate, All NYC Borough Presidencies, Manhattan District Attorney & NYC City Councilmembers

June 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Well, municipal election day has arrived.

In NYC politics, most of the electoral decisions are really made in the Democratic primaries, as the city is populated by an overwhelming majority of registered Democrats. Thus, whoever wins the Democratic primary, is generally the odds on favorite to win the general election. Not to say that there aren't exceptions, but they are just that - exceptions.

Which is why - if you care about who allocates the funding of municipal budgets, who determines on the local statutes by which we must live, and who feeds the media and thereby the electorate the topics and perspectives on life as we live it - you'll make an effort to do a bit of research on the candidates and then visit your local poll to cast your ballot. If you scroll down this page, we have provided some coverage of the candidates vying in some of the major races, and some coverage of the major NYC Mayoral candidates, which you may find of interest.

The graphic to your right will take you to the NYC Poll finder, so you can input your address & zip to find your local poll site. Polls are generally open from 6 am - 9 pm.

I'll have a few more tidbits on the local election primaries / candidates and an NYC Crime Stats update later today.

The reason for including a report on NYC crime statistics is that the local TV stations seem to provide an uninformed or unintelligible depiction of what's going on vis a vis crime in our fair city. Too often they sound like a bunch of empty headed nitwits spouting off hearsay rather than facts. And asking the large, corporate-owned TV stations, to hire teleprompter readers who would spend as much time actually thinking about what they're reading from the teleprompter - as they do on their collective hair, wardrobes and make up - would seem to be asking them for far too much.

Here's a link to the data I compiled using the NYPD monthly reports to show the year to date crime stats for the city versus last year - but also versus 2019 - as last year was the pandemic which skewed everything. I'll add the commentary later today [now added - see below] on the NYC Crime Statistics Year to Date May 2021.

Brief Look into NYC Crime Stats Year to Date May 2021

NYC Crime is Generally Low - Except for Gun Related Shootings & Murders and GLA

June 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Police & Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

When I watch the nightly TV news, as their teleprompter readers / actors do a reading of the news, I find that what's lacking is any insight or thought to the words that come spewing out of my TV set. Today, I'm referring to the crime levels in NYC, and what's going on in our fair city vis a vis law enforcement.

The way the nightly TV men and women, who read the news to us, talk about crime in our city, you'd think it was the 1970's. But the reality is far from that.

Old Newsman's Adage - Consider the Source. Part of the problem is that between two and three of the six major TV stations operating in NYC are controlled or minimally, influenced by Australian born billionaire Rupert 'Goebbels' Murdoch. Herr Murdoch controls Fox 'News' Channel 5, and 'My' 9 Channel 9 [see how Murdoch embeds his propaganda in the names?], and he is one of the two largest shareholders in Disney / ABC. Since Disney / ABC completed the acquisition of Murdoch's Fox 'News' assets on March 20 of 2019, Murdoch appears to have taken a 'hands on role' in exerting an outsize influence over its CEO by influencing the personnel changes within ABC News. So remember that this in not your father's or mother's ABC News - it seems to increasingly be Rupert Murdoch's.

Propaganda for Profit? Part of the reason that Murdoch appears to be hyping crime in our city is that it plays to his favored Mayoral candidate, Eric Adams, who was endorsed by Murdoch's NY Post and who Murdoch's Wall St. Journal featured in a photo today, one day before the election. Murdoch appears never to give anything for which he won't receive something even better, in return. See our section on Rupert Murdoch and the Rise of the Propaganda Press to learn more about the corrupt influence Murdoch has exerted - not just in the U.S. - but around the world.

So let's look at the real crime statistics with an eye on understanding what's going on - rather than figuring out a way to exploit the crime statistics in order to get a potential Murdoch pol elected, which is who Eric Adams now appears to be.

 

NYC Crime has been Near Record Lows - Even This Year

First off, year to date May 2021 murder is up 8% or 12 deaths versus 2020. But it is up 38% or 44 deaths versus 2019. It's important to note that 2019 was a record low crime year overall for NYC and one of the near record low years for murders. In 2019 there were 318 murders, while May 2021 Year to Date there have been 161 murders. According to Wikipedia,

" ... In 2018, there were 289 homicides--the lowest number since the 1940s. Homicides in New York City surged in 2020, but still remained lower than any year between 1960 and 2011..."

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about murders, shootings and crime in NYC and how illegal guns seem the root of the problem.
• CLICK here to view a Year To Date chart showing NYC Crime Stats as of May 2021 vs YTD 2020 and 2019.

NYC Mayoral Debate Review

In the Debate, McGuire Moved up a bit, Donovan Moved Down & ...

June 7, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. Some small amounts of rain are expected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - but at a below 50% probability - except Wednesday early afternoon. The temperature highs will be in the mid 80's on Tuesday and Wednesday, dropping to the mid 70's on Thursday and the mid 60's on Friday. The temperature lows will go from about 70 on Tuesday and Wednesday to about 60 on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be between 3 - 10 mph, being calmer in the first couple of days, and a bit more windy toward the end of the week. The humidity will be between 70% and 90% through the week.

 

The First Live NYC Mayoral Debate was Wednesday June 2nd

It was nice to see all of the major candidates on the same stage talking the issues, as for the first time the debate was live. I went in with Garcia, Morales and Yang near the top of my list; with Adams, Stringer and McGuire at the bottom; and the other two - Donovan and Wiley - in the middle.

I came out of the debate a bit less certain of Garcia, more convinced by Garcia and unchanged on Yang. Wiley stayed in the middle, probably dropping a notch, as she triggered concerns that she may be trying to do too much, too quickly, and thus may fail. Based on what I've seen over the years, you can't lead from the fringer.

Shaun Donovan shot down into the middle of my bottom tier, where Stringer championed the bottom slot. McGuire moved up to the top of the bottom tier, while Adams moved up into the middle tier, pulling neck and neck with Wiley. I'll show you a before / after graphic later this week.

So why the changes?

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the NYC Democratic Primary Mayoral Debate June 2021.

Memorial Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Memorial Day Weekend

May 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I know Memorial Day Weekend is fully a week away, but given it's such a changed landscape due to the CoVid pandemic, I thought you might want more time to think about how you're going to spend the weekend.

Weather. The Temperature highs will be in the mid 70's on Friday, rising to 90 for Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 60 on Friday and Sunday, rising to 70 on Saturday. No Rain is in the forecast. Winds will range between 5 - 12 mph all weekend. The Humidity will be betwen 40% - 60% through the weekend.

Memorial Day Weekend Forecast as of 5/21/21. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 60's. No Rain is in the forecast. Winds will range between 5 - 9 mph all weekend. The Humidity will be betwen 50% - 70% through the long weekend.

Click for an update on NYC Weather.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in the Bronx.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Brooklyn.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Manhattan.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Queens.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day on Staten Island.

We'll also have an update with additional events next weekend. Enjoy.

How Would a Mayor Eric Adams Govern?

He Seems to Favor Charter Schools & They Seem to Favor Him, He's Pulled in the Most Real Estate Cash & He has Indicated He'll Reverse Course a bit on Police Reform

Included in this Report is a Look at the Impact of Gun Sales on NYC Violent Crime

May 17, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Eric Adams isn't Scott Stringer

We recently did a report showing how Scott Stringer has repeatedly appeared to have traded the community interest for his personal interest and career ambitions.

In that report we showed how Stringer takes big public stands, on what I would call generic Democratic issues over which he has little influence, such as gender equality, race and climate change. And yet on issues over which he has considerable influence that significantly impact the local communities, neighborhoods and unions - like real estate developments, local education, public libraries and the pension fund investments - he has taken big public stands in one direction, while appearing to do just the opposite with his actions.

In that report I also noted how Stringer seems opportunistic in compromising his stances [for example in education and the public library system] in order to capitalize on what he seems to think are self enhancing career opportunities. Stringer also seems to have used the power and authority of government positions entrusted to him by the people, to aid those who fund his campaigns, possibly trading what's good for the people, in exchange for what's good for Scott Stringer.

Stringer hit my radar nearly a decade ago, while Eric Adams only hit my radar a couple of years ago. So I'm less familiar with Adams' career than Stringer's. But in doing the research, I found that Eric Adams appears to be a slow steady hand, whose positions have evolved over time ... and I would add that generally they appear to have evolved carefully.

 

1. Eric Adams - Public Schools & Education

Pro Charter Schools & What that Means

In my reporting I have found that FOR PROFIT Charter Schools, don't seem to solve the failing schools problem, but rather split and shift the problem burdens, while privatizing and gutting a significant portion of the public school system.

I began reporting on education during the Bloomberg era, wherein Bloomberg's Administration seemed to split public schools into two smaller entities, and then parcel out the achieving students / families via charter recruitment to the privately run for profit charters, while leaving the lower performing students / families in the care of unions and the general public. It seemed to me they didn't really solve anything, and sucked needed capital out of the public school system, putting it in the hands of the venture capitalists who were funding the for profit charter schools.

This situation appeared to me not unlike what the insurance industry had done prior to Obamacare - whereby the insurance companies recruited healthy people for health insurance, and avoided signing those who weren't healthy in order to enhance their economic performance. To me this goes against the grain of what America is all about - which is equal opportunity for all. The privatization of the public schools by the predatory for profit charters would turn the public education system into the haves and have nots.

*** It's worth noting that NON-PROFIT CHARTERS evolved for different reasons and provided a healthy challenge to the union run public education system and thus non-profit charters appear to have a more more beneficial impact than the for-profit charters.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about Eric Adams political career and policy positions on charter schools, housing and the police / also an analysis of gun public policy failures in the U.S..

This Weekend - Mothers Day & More

Broadway Tickets go on Sale, Restaurant Capacity Increased to 75%, Mothers Day Restaurants Suggestions [see 4/27 report], Some Things To Do NYC, Free Baseball Tickets, Retail Coming Back & Brief CoVid Update

May 7, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 60's on Friday & Sunday, and high 50's on Saturday. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday and Sunday and in the mid 50's on Saturday. A small amount of rain [a tenth or two of an inch] is expected during the day Saturday, and a larger amount of rain [up to a half inch] is due starting Sunday late afternoon / early evening. The humidity will be 50% - 70% and the winds 5 - 10 mph all weekend.

 

Some Broadway Tickets Went on Sale

Effective Thursday 5/6/21 some Broadway Show tickets went on sale online. Broadway is expected to reopen on Tuesday, September 14th, 2021. According to an NBC report about 94,000 people have jobs tied to Broadway Shows. I'm not sure if this includes hotels, restaurants, taxis in addition to acting, stagecraft and production / business management, but the annual revenue figure of $14.8 billion associated with Broadway productions does include related businesses. I believe tickets to some of the big plays like Aladdin, Hamilton and Chicago won't be available until next week - but if you're interested, you should check as soon as possible.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on things to do Mothers Day Weekend in NYC.

The NYC Mayoral Race Heats Up 2021

#1 Andrew Yang Slipping in Polls, #2 Eric Adams Holds / Moves up on Yang, Already #3 or #4 - Scott Stringer Now Accused of Sexual Harassment, Plus a Bit of News on the Four Candidates Trailing the Leaders & the Mysterious Impact of Ranked Choice Voting

May 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. It's going to be a fairly rainy week, starting late afternoon / early Monday evening ending Tuesday morning. Tuesday looks to be cloudy, but not a lot of rain until Tuesday evening, which will last through Wednesday. Thursday looks to be winner [sunny & dry] and then Friday afternoon less rain returns. Temperature lows will be in the 50's and temperature highs in the 60's on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and in the 70's on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

NYC Mayoral Primary is Tuesday, June 22nd

The NYC Mayoral Primary is only seven weeks away. So it's time for voters to begin doing their homework on the candidates in order to make an informed choice. As of the most recent poll, there are at best, about seven viable candidates for the Democratic primary. The viable candidates include Andrew Yang, Eric Adams, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley, Raymond McGuire, Shaun Donovan, Dianne Morales and Kathryn Garcia.

While there are another five candidates who qualified for the race, they do not appear to have much popular support nor competitive financial backing. So those five, who include Art Chang, Aaron Foldenauer, Paperboy Love Prince, Joycelyn Taylor and Isaac Wright, Jr., have just received all the mention I intend to give them prior to the election.

 

Brief NYC Mayoral Candidate Look - See at Most Competitive Candidates including Andrew Yang, Eric Adams, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley, Raymond McGuire, Shaun Donovan, Dianne Morales and Kathryn Garcia

With More Depth to Come Prior to the Primary / Decision Day

I. Andrew Yang has been polling as the leading candidate for the longest time, but his support appears to be fading as voters become more familiar with him as well as the other candidates. What likely drove Yang's early poll numbers was his high name recognition at the beginning of the race. Yang had gained name recognition by virtue of his failed run for president in 2020.

It's worth noting that Yang has not held publicly elected office, and prior to his run for president, was best known for a non-profit venture that gained some national attention from the Obama Administration. In a February 10, 2021 Politico report, Yang was the top choice of 28% of respondents in a poll conducted by Core Decision Analytics which is a lobbying firm. According to an April 29, 2021 report in Politico, a recent simulation poll by StudentsFirstNY, showed Yang's support at 26%.

Yang is generally perceived as a left leaning progressive, who sparks creative discussions about what ifs. However, given his limited track record professionally and operationally, it's difficult to tell what a Yang Administration would look like in reality, since he's not held publicly elected office and his claim to fame was only a six million non-profit venture. NYC operates on about a $90 billion budget each year and it's important to have someone familiar with the operations of the city prior to assuming office. Donald Trump comes to mind here, in that he had no prior experience that qualified him for the presidency. In Andrew Yang's case, his experience vis a vis NYC government, is miniscule at best.

EDITOR'S NOTE. Please note that the poll numbers cited in this report come from two different sources whose polling methods likely differed, and which may have some sort of poltical agenda, even though both poll reports were published in Politico, an online political web magazine.

 

Brooklyn Borough President - Eric Adams

II. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has held the second place in polls, and his support seems to be solidifying and possibly growing. While Yang had about 84% name recognition going into the race, the next best known contestants - Eric Adams and Scott Stringer - came in at about 60% and 66% name recognition, respectively. Adams was supported by 17% in the February 2021 poll, and inched up to 20% in the StudentsFirstNY simulation poll in April 2021.

Eric Adams has been the Brooklyn Borough President since 2013. Prior to that he was an NYS State Senator for four terms. And prior to that, Adams spent two decades as first a transit police officer and then as a member of the NYPD. While seeming to start from a conservative vantage point early in life, Adams appears to have moved steadily toward a moderate, even progressive stance, favoring gay marriage, calling for more dialogue about race and policing as early as 2004, advocating for the first two years of public college to be free and wanting developers to do more for the communities in which they operate.

But there are critical areas where it's unclear as to what an Adams Mayoralty may look like as he has taken in more real estate development cash than any other candidate. Also, the charter schools companies, that make a lot of money by privatizing the best part of the public school system, leaving the rest behind in the hands of the government and unions, while they rake in the cash and the accolades have also contributed a fair amount of cash to the Adams campaign. The private charter schools essentially ravage the public school system in a manner not unlike how insurance companies used to recruit the healthy, leaving the sick in the hands of the public or on their own.

Adams is perceived to be a moderate who has moved leftward from registering as a Republican in the 1990's.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report providing a brief look into the major candidates of the NYC Democratic Mayoral primary on June 22nd including Andrew Yang, Eric Adams, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley, Raymond McGuire, Shaun Donovan, Dianne Morales and Kathryn Garcia.

This Weekend Things To Do NYC

Giddyap. As CoVid Abates, More Semblances of Normality Return, 5 Boro Bike Ride to be Rescheduled, Some Live Events in Manhattan & Queens, More Reopenings, Upcoming Fairs & Festivals, Curfews, CoVid, Falling Rents & Mayoral Race

April 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will rise from about 70 on Friday and Saturday to about 80 on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the mid 40's to the high 50's on Saturday and Sunday. Humidity will be about 40% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 40% to 60% on Sunday. The wind will fall from 20 mph on Friday to 10 - 15 on Saturday to 5 - 10 on Sunday. No rain is expected this weekend.

 

CoVid Vaccinations by Seniors Now at 80%

A full 80% of the most vulnerable segment of the American population - those aged 65 and older - have been vaccinated. That is probably the single biggest contributor to the declining death and hospitalization rates around the nation.

Both Moderna and Pfizer have been testing vaccines on children below age 16 [down to 12 years of age] and the results of those tests are expected soon. Children represent about 20% of the American population.

There are now 17 people who encountered blood clotting problems after taking the J&J vaccine. All were women, except one. Between 8 and 9 million people have received the J&J vaccine, so the risk to the general population is very small.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines reportedly appear to present no greater risk to pregnant mothers than the general population, but it's unclear to me whether that risk assessment also applies to the children they are carrying. It could be too early to tell.

 

Governor Cuomo Accelerates Removal of the CoVid Controls

Bars and restaurants can now seat folks at the bar, effective Monday, May 3rd.

The curfew for outdoor dining ends on Monday, May 17th and the curfew for indoor dining ends on Monday, May 31st.

Effective May 15th, gyms will be able to use 50% of their capacity, up from 33% - but this is only outside of NYC. Casinos and gaming facilities will be able to increase the use of their capacity from 25% to 50%.

The Governor also announced that Offices can begin using 75% of their capacity, up from 50%, effective May 15th.

On Wednesday, May 19th outdoor sports / events venues like stadiums, can increase capacity to 33% from the current 20% level.

 

Mayor de Blasio Expects NYC to be Fully Reopened by July 1st

The Mayor announced this week that he expects NYC to be fully reopened by July 1st, including the resumption of 24/7 subway service. Not long after the pandemic began, the subways were closed down from 12 midnight to 5 am [later shortened to 1 am to 5 am] for deep cleaning.

On Monday, May 3, 2021 the remaining 80,000 of 180,000 municipal workers will return to their offices. According to CBS News the municipal office workers have been vaccinated and $200 million was spent preparing the offices for the workers' return. The municipal office employees' work environment has been compared to that of teachers, although an activist group that arose out of the pandemic, says it's unsafe to do so.

The Mayor also had some good news on the public library front, telling us that effective Monday, May 10th, 2021 folks will be able to visit the libraries and rsvp computer time there. Book borrowing limits will be loosened from curbside pickup.

The Mayor reminded folks that any adult can now obtain a vaccination without scheduling an appointment, by showing up at one of the vaccincations sites - which include many pharmacies - with proper identification / insurance info.

The Mayor said that 6.4 million vaccine doses have been injected into New Yorkers' arms. Nationally about a third of the population has been fully vaccinated, and about 43% have received at least one dose. Remember, children are a fifth of the population, so we're about half way home for those eligible to be vaccinated.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the accelerating changes toward a post CoVid pandemic normalcy in NYC and NYS in Spring of 2021.

Mothers Day Restaurants in NYC 2021

New York City Restaurants are Ready to Return to Life ... Beginning w/ Mothers Day ... Is This Irony and / or Coincidence?

April 27, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Restaurants / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. This forecast was made just shy of two weeks out from Mothers Day. The temperatures will be between 50 and 70 degrees. Right now there's a 24% chance of some precipitation. So, as things currently stand, Mothers Day looks to be alright weather-wise.

We posted a number of different Mothers Day reports, by borough, of a wide range of restaurant suggestions that will be open and ready to accommodate folks on Mothers Day. Take a look.

Bronx Mothers Day 2021 Restaurants

Manhattan Mothers Day 2021 Restaurants

Queens Mothers Day 2021 Restaurants

Brooklyn Mothers Day Restaurants 2021

Staten Island Mothers Day Restaurants 2021

Enjoy.

NYC Coming Back to Life: Things To Do This Weekend

New York City Appears to Slowly Return to the New Normal, More Event Venues Begin Hosting Limited Capacity Rsvp Ticketed Events, Anyone Aged 16+ Can Obtain a Vaccine w/o an Appointment, Biden to Address Nation Wednesday 4/28

April 23, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

OLD - Weather. The temperature highs will be in the 60's all weekend, while the temperature lows will range from the mid 40's to mid 50's. There's a near certain chance of about three quarters of an inch of rain early Sunday morning [gone by noon]. Humidity will be 25% - 40% on Friday, moving up from 35% - 60% on Saturday and then maxing at 70% Sunday morning, before coming back down in the 50% range by Sunday evening. Winds will be between 10 - 15 mph all weekend.

 

Things To Do NYC, Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens & Staten Island

April 20 was National Weed Day. Possession of small amounts of recreational marijuana is now legal in NYS.

NYC is reopening curbside composting pickup registration in September for an October 2021 restart date.

On Monday, April 27th, museums can open to 50% of capacity, up from 25% capacity currently. Sports venues will be allowed to open up indoor events to 50% of capacity, up from 25%, effective May 19th, 2021.

 

MANHATTAN. The Perfect Crime is the first Broadway Play to reopen with live performances to indoor audiences at the Anne L. Bernstein Theater at the Theater Center at West 50th Street off Broadway in the theater district. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ticketsmarter.com for $82 - $113.

Jazz at Lincoln Center is hosting events in April - but not this weekend.

ArtontheAveNYC.com from April 15th through July 8th 2021 is vacant store fronts repurposed as art galleries for from the street viewing. It's in the West Village from the Bleeker Playground to Christopher Street and between West 4th Street and Hudson Street.

Bryant Park is hosting concerts that run from the summer through the fall, but has limited seating capacity of 200, so you are advised to rsvp now.

The Tribeca Film Festival will open with the film In the Heights in June with viewing locations in all five boroughs at destinations to be announced at a later date.

 

BRONX. NY Botanical is hosting contemporary art exhibit entitled 'Kusama: Cosmic Nature' opens this weekend with outdoor installations across the NY Botanical Garden [through October 31st]. Like most venues these days you have to reserve timed tickets at nybg.org.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about things to do in all five boroughs of NYC and economic update.

NYC Crime - A Brief Look at NYPD Progress Reducing Murders and Shootings & Effort to Rein in Violent Crime by Making Gun Arrests

The Men & Women in NYPD Blue, Police Commissioner Shea & Mayor de Blasio Have Made Progress in Bringing Down the Number of the Most Violent Crimes in NYC

News Outlets Controlled by Australian Born Billionaire Propagandist, Rupert Murdoch, Generally Fail to Inform NYC & America of these Facts Because They Don't Fit into Murdoch's Manipulative Labeling of Democratic Governed Cities nor Murdoch's Deceitful Ongoing Disparagement of Mayor de Blasio

Murdoch Seems Not to Let Facts, Get in the Way of What he Wants his News Outlets to Convince the Public to Believe

April 19, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Police Law Enforcement Crime / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will range from the mid 70's on Tuesday to the low 50's on Thursday, with the other days in the 60's. The temperature lows will range from the mid 50's on Tuesday to the the high 30's on Wednesday, with the other days somwhere in the 40's. There's a chance of about a third inch of rain on Wednesday. Winds will be between 10 - 15 mph all week. Humidity will be 50% - 60% in the beginning of the week, dropping to 40% - 50% the last two days of the week.

 

Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner Shea & the NYPD have been Making Progress in Improving Safety on NYC Streets

The NYPD has been working hard to bring down shootings and murders over the past year, in part by making a huge number of gun arrests. In the past four months of 2020, the NYPD made twice as many gun arrests as it had in the prior year. In the first quarter of 2021 the NYPD made 1378 gun arrests, which is a 64% increase over 2020.

As a result of the NYPD's gun arrests, murders in NYC have come back down from 1990's levels, to the more modest levels seen in the past two decades. And in 2020, in spite of the huge uptick in NYC murders [462], which was up 64% versus prior year, NYC's murder rate per thousand, is at or even under the murder rate for the United States as a whole. The count of America's murders made last year has not yet been finalized, but is reportedly about 20,000. So the murder rate per thousand for the nation is .000061, while the murder rate for NYC is about the same at .000055.

The shootings in NYC continue to be a problem, but there too the NYPD has made good progress since the spike last summer. Beginning in May 2020, shootings spiked into triple digits from the double digits of the prior year. Through the summer of 2020 we witnessed hundreds of shootings per month, although beginning in September the shootings began to fall into the hundred plus range, and thus far this year [first quarter 2021], NYC shootings have fallen to below 100 per month.

The statistics speak for themselves. But my interpretation of them is that Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner Shea and the NYPD have done a great job of managing violent crime back down, after a pandemic laden, socially restless, absolutely crazy 2020. But New Yorkers won't know this if they rely on miser Murdoch's mendacious NY Post, Fox News or Wall Street Journal - not because it's not true - but that it's truth that doesn't fit into how Murdoch wants his audiences to see the world ... which is through his incredibly warped, 90 year old lens, which seems to have been crafted by Nazi propaganist Joseph Goebbels himself.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about NYC murders, shootings and gun arrests and what seems the dishonest reporting of crime in NYC by Murdoch's NY Post, WSJ & Fox News.

The Beginning of the End of the Corona Virus Pandemic?

There's CoVid Bad News but also Some Very Good CoVid News

Despite Level or Rising New CoVid Cases, Death Rates Continue to Fall / J&J Vax Paused / Reasons for Different Reactions to Vaccines based on Gender / Why Kids are More Impacted by the New Variant B.1.1.7 / Pregnancies

April 12, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will mostly be in the high 50's / low 60's this week, while the temperature lows will be in the high 40's / low 50's. Winds will range from 5 - 10 mph all week. The humidity will generally range from 50% - 70% throughout the week. There will be about a half inch of RAIN on Monday and about an inch on Thursday.

 

CoVid Update NYC

We're beginning to reach a tipping point of sorts vis a vis the CoVid pandemic. There's a part of me that was inclined to wait on this story a bit longer, even though I think the trend is clear, in order avoid igniting too much enthusiasm, for what is increasingly looking like the winding down of the CoVid pandemic. But, given the trend seems real, I'm publishing my findings along with a few caveats. Please pay attention to the caveats that follow, as the implications of ignoring them, could be disastrous for people in what seem vulnerable categories.

 

J & J Vaccine Paused, Pending a Closer Look at Rare Blood Clotting Issues

This just came in. There were 6.8 - 8.3 million doses of the J & J vaccine administered to date. And further rollout of that vaccine is on pause, pending a closer review of the data. Blood clots arose in six of the millions of people who took the J&J vaccine, so out of an abundance of caution, the FDA and CDC want to be sure there's no link to the vaccine. It's worth mentioning that the blood clots found in the six people, have also materialized in folks who didn't take any vaccine. It is believed that this will likely be much ado about nothing, but until then the J&J vaccines have been pulled.

 

New CoVid Cases & CoVid Death Rates are No Longer in Sync

(Is) The Worst of the CoVid Pandemic in the U.S. Over?

The bad news is, of course, that new cases of CoVid infections are not falling and - albeit slightly - have risen a bit, after falling from a Winter high. There's other bad news as well, for specifc segments of the population, which you will see in our discussion of what appears to be happening vis a vis the spread of new variants infecting kids and different reactions to the vaccines, based on gender. We also include a brief discussion about pregnant women.

The good news is that while new CoVid cases are steady or rising, the CoVid death rate continues to fall - even taking into account a two to four week lag from contagion to death. Since mid February, I've been monitoring both the NY Times and Washington Post graphs of the new cases and death rates, noticing as the vaccination rates went up, that the deaths continued to fall, in spite of the continued spread of the virus.

As of late March, over 70% of people over the age of 65 have received at least one vaccination shot. And if you look at the CoVid death statistics, according to an April 11, 2021 report by Statista [see graphic above right], the people over 65 accounted for over 83% of the deaths in New York City, which is about in line with other statistics I've seen for the nation.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about how the relationship between CoVid testing rates and death rates is changing for the better, why new variants are infecting children at higher rates and why males and females respond differently to CoVid vaccinations.

NYC Things To Do This Weekend, News Updates & NYC Street Fairs

Entertainment Venues Reopen to 33% Capacity, Marijuana has been Legalized in NYS, CoVid Variants Comprise Over 70% New CoVid Cases, NYS Vaccine Eligibility Expanded to Include 30 Year Olds on up & Next Week 16 Year Olds on up, Assuming Vaccinations Continue at Their Current Pace, NYC Street Fairs May Return a bit Before or After the Beginning of Summer [GUESSTIMATE], Governor's Island to Open May 1st & Easter is Sunday, which is also the day Passover Ends

April 2, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. No rain is expected this weekend. The temperature highs will be in the low 40's on Friday, the mid 50's on Saturday and the low 60's on Sunday. The temperature lows will about 30 early Friday morning, rising to about 40 by Saturday and into the mid 40's by Sunday. Humidity is expected to remain low between 30% and 40% on Friday and Saturday, rising to between 40% and 50% by Sunday. Winds will be about 10 mph on Friday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph the rest of the weekend.

 

Restrictions on Entertainment Venues Loosened: Can Reopen to 33% Capacity

On Friday, April 2nd, 2021 entertainment venues in NYC can reopen to 33% capacity with limits of 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors. There's concern the Governor has gone from an abundance of caution, to something quite different, as New York ranks third in the nation in new CoVid cases per capita [42/1000] according to an April 1, 2021 report in the NYT.

 

Governors Island Reopens May 1st w/ New Weekend Ferry Service to BK

Ferry service to Governors Island resumes May 1st from Manhattan in the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street which is at Whitehall Street, just north of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The island is open from 10 am to 6 pm weekdays and until 7 pm on weekends. This year there will also be two new Governors Island ferry stops in Brooklyn on the weekends and holidays - one at the Atlantic Bassin in Red Hook and the second at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

 

Mary Jane / Marijuana: So is it, Hi, How are you? Or How Hi Are You?

NYS legalized marijuana on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Legalization of the substance is expected to bring in about $350 million in tax revenue. Marijuana will be taxed at a 13% rate, with 9% going to NYS, and 3% going to NYC and the last 1% going to counties. The money will be reinvested via community grants, education and drug rehabilitation programs with an eye toward helping those neighborhoods most in need. Those folks found guilty of low level marijuana offenses will have their police records purged vis a vis pot related arrests and convictions.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about new CoVid variants and expectations for the return of NYC street fairs.

Things To Do, NYC News Briefs & Weekend of Religious Holidays

While Overall CoVid Numbers Still Modest in NYC & NYS, CoVid New Cases up Significantly, as are Vaccinations; Cuomo Drops Some Restrictions 4/5 as well as Domestic Travel Quarantine on 4/1, Changes in White Collar Remote Working, CRIME STATS & NY Post Fox News 'Reporting' of them, Business & Economy Update, Passover Begins Saturday, Holi Begins Sunday, Palm Sunday is 3/28 & Open Streets Applications Began 3/25

March 26, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Weather. On Friday, the temperature high could hit 80 degrees, falling to about 70 on Saturday and into the low 60's on Sunday when about an inch of RAIN is expected. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday and Saturday, falling to the low 40's on Sunday. The wind will be about 20 mph on Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph Saturday and rising to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday. Humidity will be 40% to 70% Friday, 40% - 60% Saturday and 60% - 70% on Sunday.

 

Ethnic & Religious Holidays

Three holy days begin this weekend. On Saturday evening the Jewish celebration of Passover begins. Passover celebrates the Jews flight from Egypt. To Christians Sunday marks the celebration of Palm Sunday which is the first day of Holy Week, which culminates with Easter Sunday [next week]. And the Indian holiday of Holi begins Sunday evening. Holi is referred to as the festival of Spring, of Love and of Colors. I did my part by snapping the photo to your right which is certainly colorful. To all ethnic and religious groups, I wish you a safe celebration of your holidays.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about NYC CoVid vaccination rollout, the NYC economy and demographic shifts, NYPD management of NYC crime and Murdoch's mendacious media reporting of it.

The Trouble, Fear, Pain & Relief of My First CoVid Vaccination

As More New Yorkers are Vaccinated, the Pressure Grows on Those Who've Not Yet Received a Shot, Also the Role of Limiting Eligibility in Effecting a Smoothe Transition & Effective Tuesday 3/23/21 Folks Aged 50 plus Become Eligible for the CoVid Vaccination

March 22, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / Gotham Buzz NYC.

So I've been putting off getting a CoVid vaccination ever since I became eligible earlier this year. At first I held off was because there were intermittent shortages of the vaccine, then rumors of long lines to get them, and finally I had to wrestle through the various websites offering a shot, at a time and place that 'easily' worked for me.

 

Finding a Vaccination Center Near You in NYC

But this past week I hit the proverbial CoVid vaccine jackpot, after spending what was probably a couple of hours online trying to navigate my way to an appointment. One of the issues are the numerous websites out there, offering vaccines. There's both NYC and NYS vaccinations centers and I waded through each looking for specific locations, specific vaccinations [J&J, Pfizer & Moderna] and specific times.

Let me make it simple for you, as I oftentimes ended up on this site.

https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about my personal experience receiving the CoVid vaccination in NYC.

The Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Cuomo

The Sheer Number of Allegations Appears to Indicate Something is Not Right

But This Report is Not About Judging Cuomo, Either Way, but Urging People to Let Due Process Play Out

March 15, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. Part II.

I'm going to explore each accuser's allegations while providing a bit of background on each of them. I have found some of Cuomo's accusers more credible than others, in what I would call the integrity of the whole situation. That said, the sheer number of allegations certainly lends credence to the notion that something is not right in how Cuomo is managing his staff at the Capitol and in the Governor's mansion.

One's attractiveness to the opposite sex, can cut both ways. It can be used: 1) as a powerful tool to obtain special favors, wage increases and promotions one didn't earn, or 2) it can attract unwanted advances that feel threatening to one's person and livelihood. In the former case (#1), one's co-workers or competitors are often the victims by being passed over for promotions, travel and other opportunities. In the latter case (#2), one is a victim / target of unwanted sexual advances by virtue of their god given beauty.

While in Business School, one of my very best friends - who coincidentally was named Murdoch [but no relation to Rupert] - told me that his father had told him that

"... it was more important to be respected, than liked ..."

We both had to seriously contemplate this advice, as this friend was immensely popular. He had asked me to help him unravel what seemed his father's riddle. Ultimately In due time I concluded that my friend's father was right - it is more important to be respected than liked.

I think that is also good advice for women in the workforce, and provides a compass for how one should conduct oneself. Not every man out there is a gentleman, and oftentimes successful men are also the badly behaved men, some can even be assholes like - let's say - Donald Trump. And as we've seen over the past four year presidency, both the men and women who reported into him were certainly psychologically abused. And I won't even begin to contemplate Melania's situation.

So with that in mind, let's take a brief look at each of Cuomo's accusers and their allegations regarding the Governor.

 

I. Lindsey Boylan (36) - Deputy Secretary for Economic Development & Special Advisor to the Governor

Lindsay Boylan was the first woman to come forward and charge Andrew Cuomo with sexual harrassment in a tweet in December of 2020. She worked for Cuomo from 2015 - 2018 as the Governor's Deputy Secretary and Advisor, during which time she alleges she was continually harassed. Boylan is now running for Manhattan Borough President.

In the accounts of Boylan's claims I've seen published she indicated Cuomo would touch or brush against her arm or leg, compare her to an ex-girlfriend, make unwanted sexually charged statements or inquiries, and on one occasion kissed her on the lips without her permission following the award of a promotion.

Boylan first went public with her claims in December 2020, telling the world that she was speaking out now, because she felt that the public should know this, as Andrew Cuomo was up for consideration for the position of the U.S. Attorney General. This seemed reminiscent of Christine Blasey Ford stepping forth in 2018 with allegations of attempted rape by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But attempted rape is a far more serious allegation than harassment / inappropriate workplace behavior.

At the time Boylan said she didn't want to speak to any journalists about the explosive claims. This set off my spidey sense, because it seems unfair to think that you can make such explosive, career busting allegations without expecting reporters to want to dig deeper for the full context of the story.

Cuomo denied the allegations.

Last year [2020] Boylan was beaten in the Democratic congressional primary. It would seem to be a fair question to ask whether she is angry / blames Cuomo for her loss, believing that perhaps he did not help her enough? One might also ponder whether she is she using the explosive claims of sexual harassment against Cuomo to gain publicity for her current campaign for Manhattan Borough President, while simultaniously by capitalizing on / reaching out to the #MeToo movement?

In what appeared Cuomo pushback, some of Boylan's personnel files were disclosed to the press, indicating there may have been some issues surrounding to her departure from the Cuomo Administration, regarding her management of employees working for her. Boylan says this is part of a Cuomo intimidation / smear campaign.

Boylan said she was harrassed most or many of the nearly four years she worked for Cuomo [2015 - 2018]. Like many women, she hesitated and waited until [two] years after her departure before going public.

The #MeToo movement advocates that all women's sexual harassment claims should be believed, as for centuries women's sexual harrassment claims have been discredited and ignored.

Yet not long after she went public, she threatened to start a women's PAC to torch Schumer and other New York politicians who did not come out to support her in her allegations sooner. The gap in her announcement and in Schumer and other politicians' speaking out in her favor, was about two and a half months [late Dec 2020 to early Mar 2021]. Boylan also published a threatening tweet castigating both President Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris for withholding judgment as well, before she deleted it.

Boylan's vehement 'PAC fundraising' response, caused me to stop to ponder the full nature of Boylan's nearly four relationship with Cuomo, which seems to have greatly benefitted her with promotions and travel, until it did not. I was also reminded of how Donald Trump and Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz opportunistically used 'Stop the Steal' to fundraise PAC money for themselves off of an emotional, voter 'patriotism' hot button issue.

As with Janice Dean's allegations / crusade / soft gubernatiorial campaign launch, where Shakespeare's quote in Hamlet "The lady doth protest too much me thinks" seemed to resonate, as I again found myself asking if this quote also has some relevance to Boylan's case. See prior report for full explanation regarding Janice Dean.

Boylan's allegations would be given due consideration in an investigation. And we may learn much more about hers and Cuomo's relationship ... and it's possible that it could be highly toxic to both of them.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the multiple sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo including by Lindsey Boylan, candidate for Manhattan Borough President.

Weekend Update & A Different Perspective on Andrew Cuomo's Troubles

The Weather Returns to Seasonal, Daylight Savings Time Springs Ahead Sunday, People Vaccinated Growing Rapidly & Has Raging Rupert Incited Another Rioting Mob?

March 12, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This past week, we experienced a few enjoyable weather days this week, with temperatures in the 60's and 70's. But alas, all good things must come to an end, so starting tonight the temperature will fall back into the 30's and we'll return to seasonal weather for the next week or so.

Weather. The temperature high will be about 70 on Friday, returning to the 50's on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will fall to the mid 30's tonight and Saturday and then fall to the mid 20's on Sunday night. No rain is in the forecast and the humidity will remain low at about 30% throughout the weekend. The wind will range from 10 - 18 mph on Friday, 5 - 10 mph Saturday and rise back up to 18 mph on Sunday.

Daylight Savings Time, where you 'spring ahead' by setting your clock ahead an hour ahead, begins early Sunday morning at 2 am. At present it gets light about 6 am, so following the change it will become light out around 7 am, and currently it gets dark around 6 pm, and following the change it will then get dark around 7 pm.

The number of New Yorkers and Americans vaccinated continues to grow quickly. As of this post some 65 million Americans or about 20% of the nation has received at least one shot. New York is staying abreast with the rest of the nation, with four million New Yorkers [state] having received at least one shot, which is 20% of the state population of about 20 million. New York City has vaccinted 1.8 million people which is also about 20% of the 8.4 million New York City residents.

And the pace of vaccinations continues to accelerate, because just this past week, in New York State over a million doses were administered. President Biden wants everyone to be eligible to receive the vaccine by early May, so that come Independence Day, we can celebrate together is a post pandemic normalcy. The nation's production of vaccine continues to grow, and the vaccine distribution / administration capability which is handled at the state and municipal level, appear to be in place to handle the growing demand.

Children are not among those eligible to be vaccinated. This is because most children do not appear to become severely ill. There are tests being conducted on vaccinating younger children ages 16 - 18, as well as some kids as young as 12, and plans are being discussed regarding vaccinating children 5 - 11.

 

Did Raging Rupert Murdoch's Mass Media Riot Machine Incite Another Mob by Distorting & Using #MeToo?

March 12, 2021 / US Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

While watching the story of Governor Cuomo's troubles unfold, they triggered my 'spidey sense', or as it used to be called, my newsman's nose. In either case something smells rotten in NYS and as oftentimes is the case, it seems to be coming from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century & Newscorp - which includes the NY Post, the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, his Harper Collins Publishing Company and possibly with an assist from Disney / ABC News where he has become the largest shareholder and where he seems to be making behind-the-scense personnel moves in the news division.

Even more than Trump, Rupert Murdoch is a trojan horse threat to our democracy. He has already turned both Australia and Britain into banana republics where he appears to change prime ministers at the drop of a hat and unfortunately most of the natives of those lands don't even seem to be aware that they're living in a mediacracy - which is a state controlled by one man's mass media holdings. Both Britain and Australia have been through at least four prime ministers within the past five years, because it seems Murdoch couldn't get exactly what he wanted on the first three tries.

Why do I think the stench is coming from Murdoch's 21st Century & Newscorp and not the Governor's mansion? Because Murdoch's gang of mendacious multi-millionaire minions too often seem not to give a damn about reporting the truth - but rather about distorting and even fictionalizing it to stoke the ratings busting fires of discontent - by attacking government officials who seem not to give Murdoch what he wants from them.

Murdoch's portfolio of wealthy teleprompter actors and actresses, seem to feign anger and outrage, in order to stoke the hyper ventillating audiences of reality contortionists Hannity, Ingraham, Pirro and Tucker into a ratings driven profit frenzy ... which the Australian born billionaire cashes in on, but also uses to brow beat those government officials who won't obey him and use our governmental apparatus to enhance Murdoch's wealth and power.

Earlier this year Murdoch's mass media appeared to help stoke the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol by feeding their audiences misinformation about the integrity of the election results and of the voting apparatus. Murdoch's mendacious minions did such a colossal job of disinforming the American public, that they are now the defendants in a $2.7 multi-BILLION dollar lawsuit filed by Smartmatic, one of the voting machine companies.

Murdoch appeared to fire Fox News host Lou Dobbs in order to pretend Fox News doesn't tolerate that sort of thing [disinforming their audience], just like they fired Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ailes - BUT only after years of reported sexual harassment transgressions when it became too big to ignore, and activists started boycotting Fox advertisers and the greedy 'little man' billionaire started losing money on them. Then came the "I didn't know" and yet another Murdoch inspired phony act of the most insincere contrition.

Remorseful Rupert Murdoch's quintessential phony act of contrition was performed in Britain in 2012, during the investigation into his company's [or ies'] phone hacking of ordinary British citizens for sadistic pleasure and profit. Murdoch's company reportedly hacked the phones of private citizens in order to sensationalize their personal trauma and tragedy on the front pages of Murdoch's British tabloids and TV outlets. Revealing the personal and private pain of private citizen(s) appeared to be great for Murdoch's newspaper sales, great for Rupert's TV ratings and great for rapacious Rupert Murdoch's insatiable appetite for ever more money. It was all part of his life-long, predatory power grab from the ignorant people who get their 'news' from his outlets, and make their voting decisions based on it.

So let's take a look at how the Cuomo story / stories unfolded, in search of truth - not ratings, and in search of a more behind-the-scenes account of things [also known as asking why] - not by partaking in a superficial, broadcast mass media induced, modern day virtual mob lynching, which is what appears to be happening as we speak. The virtual mob won't hang Cuomo's real life carcass like a Mussolini, but rather they will hang his reputation out to dry, based entirely on - as of yet - unsubstantiated allegations made in some cases by people who haven't even revealed themselves and to date have remained fully anonymous. The broadcast TV mass media induced mob will leave Cuomo for politically dead ... which appears exactly what the perennially angry, mean, old man - Rupert Keith Murdoch - wants. Assuming of course, that the actions and words of so many of Murdoch's apparently dishonest minions, represents his the 'Triump of the Will' or the Goebbels-like Media Fuhrer's wishes.

Step aside Atticus Finch - there's a new mindless mob in town - and it appears to be incited by the Australian born propagandist, Herr Rupert Murdoch, America's 21st century Goebbels.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about Rupert Murdoch's mass media blitzkrieg assault on Governor Cuomo using Fox News weather teleprompter reader Janice Dean to lead a media coup d'etat by hyping and sensationalizing allegations and innuendo about NYS CoVid pandemic nursing home deaths.

St Pat's Day 2021 - Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in NYC

Most Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants We Cover Survived & Are Ready to Party, but Remember Reduced Capacity Seating Offset by Outdoor Seating & CoVid Guidelines Still Apply

March 8, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Irish Pubs Bars & Restaurants / Gotham Buzz NYC.

So We're a bit more than a week away from St. Patrick's Day 2021. It was around this time last year that we were all waking up to a new reality ... the CoVid pandemic. So the Manhattan NYC St. Patrick's Day parade was hugely scaled down ... and again this year. While the other St. Patrick's Day parades were cancelled and this year either cancelled or moved virtual.

But things are looking up. Restaurants and bars are back to indoor dining at 25%, restaurants can stay open until 11 pm and we've all adapted to outdoor dining. The current weather forecast [as of 3/8/21] for St. Patrick's Day calls for temperatures to range from 40 - 50 degrees with a wee bit of rain. So outdoor dining / drinking should be doable.

So we've compiled a set of Irish pubs, bars and restaurants in each borough for you to peruse if you're contemplating going out that day. Please remember, that like New Years Eve, all the amateur drinkers come out including those not Irish, so be careful. Especially because it's likely a lot of folks will become sloppy mask wearers and not keep their social distance and perhaps not be as mindful of hand cleanliness when not imbibing a few drinks.

So enjoy yourself, but responsibly, so we can all move beyond this pandemic.

• St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Bronx
• St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Brooklyn
• St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Manhattan
• St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Queens
• St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Staten Island

NYC Farmers Markets 2021

Year Round Farmers Markets in NYC Continue & New Season Beckons

March 5, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

We're only a week away from Daylight Savings Time, when we all spring ahead into longer days, where the sun doesn't depart until around 7 pm.

The J&J vaccine was approved last Saturday, February 27, 2021 and already millions of doses have been distributed. While the vaccine was proven to be somewhere between 72% - 85% effective in providing total protection, it was found to be 100% effective against hospitalizations and deaths.

As the J&J vaccine was tested after the stronger mutating CoVid variants started appearing, the effectiveness percent vis a vis the other vaccines might not be apples to apples. And what's more is that it requires only a single dose, no highly sophisticated storage requirements, and can be quickly manufactured.

So things are looking up. Last year farmers markets were classified as essential businesses and while many remained open, they curtailed hours and some went on hiatus. The following is an update for the 2021 season of NYC farmers markets dates / times and selections. We'll update again as we near the opening of the first wave of seasonal markets in May. In the meantime here's a guide to farmers markets, including those that are open year round, by NYC borough. Remember masks, social distancing and hands washing are required. Enjoy.

Bronx Farmers Markets NYC

Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC

Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC

Queens Farmers Markets NYC

Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC

Black History Month to End Soon

PBS has been Airing Some Excellent Documentaries about African Americans Role in Our Nation's History

February 22, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC History / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. There will be a small bit of rain today between 11 am - 4 pm. Thereafter the rest of the week should be dry. The temperature highs will be in the 40's all week and the temperature lows will be in the 30's. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph except on Wednesday, when it will be a drafty 13 mph. Humidity will be in the 70% range today, dropping into the 60% range on Tuesday & Wednesday, then down into the 50% range on Thursday and Friday.

All tolled, it looks like a pretty fair week.

 

PBS - Finding Your Roots - Histories

Last night I came upon one of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Finding Your Roots documentaries on PBS. For more info about this series see - https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/

As I watched, I recollected how in my youth, I had considered Black hisotry to be a superfluous extension of American history. That perspective was, of course, born of youthful ignorance. Since then, I have come to appreciate the importance of Black Studies in providing a more comprehensive view of American history over the centuries. In part, I have PBS to thank, because they have aired and I have watched, quite a number of documentaries - some or all of which they funded or produced - particularly since the CoVid pandemic began.

In the program I viewed last night, one of the people on Gates' Finding Your Roots series was being informed about her family's history. It struck me when Gates referenced her great, great, great, great grandfather on a bill of sale by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Over the past decade or so, I've become more interested in my own family's history. We knew a fair amount about those ancestors within temporal reach, going back to our great grandfathers, but little beyond. That was until a couple of summers ago when I found that one of the members of our extended family had a collection of scribbled notes and diagrams that recorded our lineage - some of which appears to date back to colonial times and the Revolutionary War. Up until this discovery, I had thought we had become Americans in the latter half of the 18th century.

But it occurred to me, based on Gates' reference to the great, great, great, great grandfather mentioned above, most African Americans' family histories date back at least a couple of centuries. Gates' documentary series delves into the histories of oftentimes, somewhat famous, African Americans who were descendants of slaves, or famous white Christian or Jewish Americans who are descendants of families that owned slaves.

Gates' geneological and genetic explorations also find interesting tidbits, like the fact that comedian Larry David and Senator Bernie Sanders are distantly related. PBS Producer Ken Burns is a descendant of a slave owner, but also related to Abraham Lincoln. And Brian Gumbel discovered he had some previously unknown Jewish ancestry.

Out of Gates' explorations into the past, we learn many things, not the least of which is that African Americans worked the fields, growing cotton and food that fed and clothed the nation, and provided their 'owners' with a tidy profit. It's worth noting that in the early 1800's about 75% of the nation worked in occupations related to agriculture [today it's about 10 - 11%]. But following the Civil War, African Americans' contribution to the nation went far beyond that, including serving our nation in two world wars, providing needed labor for the auto industry and significantly contributing to our culture and history.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about Black History, Jazz Ambassadors and Henry Louis Gates Helps Folks Find Their Ancestral Roots.

Things To Do This Weekend NYC

Also Updates on Economy, CoVid & More

February 19, 2021 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 30's and the temperature lows will be in the low to high 20's all weekend. Winds will range from 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend. Humidity will drop from the high 70% range on Friday to between 50% - 60% the rest of the weekend. There's a forecast of one to two inches of precipitation on Friday and then none the rest of the weekend.

FYI - Next Wednesday, February 24 the temperature highs will near 50 degrees. The photo at right shows a scenic holiday greeting card vista in Queens earlier this month.

 

Large Scale CoVid Vaccination Centers Operating in All Boroughs

Over the past month, a number of governmental efforts have all been converging on beating back the Corona Virus. At the federal level the Biden Administration has secured hundred of millions of vaccination doses so that by mid year anyone who wants to get vaccinated should be able to do so.

On the State and City level, the Mayor and Governor have set up a number of sites, including at least one mega vaccination site in each borough. In Manhattan the Javits Center opened in mid January, in the Bronx Yankee Stadium opened the second week of February as did CitiField in Queens, in Brooklyn the Brooklyn Army Terminal opened in mid January and on Staten Island Empire Outlets opened today Friday, February 19, 2021.

There are two large supplemental sites planned for opening at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn and York College in Jamaica. I believe they both will be open tomorrow, Saturday February 20th - both opening ahead of some of the first announcement plans, which were scheduled for Wednesday, February 24. This is an outreach effort to ethnic communities which have been lagging behind the general population in getting vaccinated.

Eligibility for Vaccinations. The first few waves of openings were allocated to healthcare workers, first responders and folks over 65 years of age. On Monday, February 15, 2021 the Governor opened up the CoVid vaccinations to those with comorbidities which includes cancer and weakened immune systems, pregnancy, heart conditions, pulmonary liver chronic kidney and sickle cell diseases, diabetes, neurologic conditions, obesity and mental disabilities.

 

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about the CoVid Pandemic vaccination roll out in NYC.

Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend NYC

UPDATED FOR COVID 2021 - If Planning to Dine Out on Valentine's Day Better Get Moving

February 9, 2021 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend is Presidents Day Weekend. For many, not all, it's a three day weekend. This means the Post Office and most federal, state and oftentimes municipal offices are also closed.

As of this posting the Presidents Day Weekend Weather. The Temperature highs will be around 30 throughout the three day weekend beginning on Friday, dropping to the high teens nightly, except on Saturday when the low temperature will also be around 30. Precipitation - There's an 80% chance of about two inches of snow late Saturday / early Sunday morning as of this post. Winds will be relatively stable hovering around the 10 mph range throughout the long weekend. The Humidity will range between 60% - 75% throughout the weekend. Click for NYC Weather.

 

A Few Valentines Day / Presidents Day News Items - Indoor Dining Resumes, Folks with Co-Morbidities become Vaccine Eligible, Vaccine Production & 2nd Trump Impeachment Trial Begins Today

Governor Cuomo announced that indoor dining in NYC resumes on Friday, February 2, 2021 at 25% capacity. NYS positivity rate is about 4%, while the NYC positivity rate is about 8% - but both have been declining since the Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year surge began in late November / early December of 2020.

This past weekend, Governor Cuomo announced that folks with CoVid comorbidities will be eligible to receive vaccinations effective Monday, February 15, 2021. According to the Governor's website, the CoVid co-morbidities [say that fast five times] include the following:

"... Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, Pulmonary Disease, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Heart Conditions, Immunocompromised State, Severe Obesity, Pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease or Thalassemia, Type 1 or 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cerebrovascular Disease, Neurologic Conditions and Liver Disease Will Be Eligible ..."

Vaccine production for the U.S. is nearing the 1.5 million doses daily required to meet Biden’s upwardly mobile 100 million vaccinations in the Biden Administration's first 100 days. As of this writing about 10% of all New Yorkers as well as 10% of all Americans have received at least one CoVid vaccination dose.

 

Trump's Failed Capitol Riot of 2021 Seems Not Unlike Hitler's Failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923

The second Trump impeachment trial began today, Tuesday, February 9th, 2021. Generally I find the rushing of the trial to be an insult to the American people, and the U.S. Constitution philosophies of due process and rule of law. The government officials prosecuting and managing the trial should take all the time required to educate the American people about who Donald Trump really is - not who he says he is.

They need to use the Impeachment Trial to highlight how Trump has significantly battered our democratic processes, undermined Americans' faith in our democratic institutions, personalized the power of the presidency, breached the rule of law, and appears to have colluded with the Russians to undermine our government over the past five years. Oh, yeah, and it all culminated in that lame Capitol Riot Insurrection which was not unlike and had striking similarities to Hitlers' lame / failed Beer Hall Putsch in Germany in 1923.

Ten years later Hitler rose to power as the Nazi Party leader and proceeded, like Trump did during his presidency, to usurp and personalize the power of the state thanks in part to the Goebbels / Murdoch/propaganda machines which misled the citizenry in each nation about who these two leaders were, and also victimized minorities in both nations. In the Beer Hall Putsch, 16 Nazis and four policemen died. In the Capitol Riot four Trumpsters and one policeman died.

 

Hitler was found guilty of treason following the Beer Hall Putsch, but still rose to power. Will the Senate take the precaution of sanctioning the Donald, or continue to enable the dysfunctional democracy damager - possibly destroyer?

 

Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC

A day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.

In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.

In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.

• Bronx Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend BX
• Brooklyn Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend BK
• Manhattan Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend MHTN
• Queens Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend QNS
• Staten Island Things To Do on Presidents Day Weekend SI

Please note that we've updated things to reflect current conditions related to the CoVid pandemic. Enjoy.

Valentines Day Restaurants in NYC

Updated for CoVid 2021 - If Planning to Dine Out on Valentine's Day Better Get Moving

February 5, 2021 / NYC Restaurants / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A week from Sunday is Valentine's Day in NYC. We have nearly completed a round up of a number of restaurants by borough that will be open, offering indoor and outdoor dining on that day.

One thing worth noting is that, because of the limited indoor seating [25% capacity] and the resumption of indoor dining from its hiatus, demand is likely to exceed capacity for a regular old fashioned restaurant experience. In fact a few restaurants we spoke to were already sold out and creating waiting lists.

UPDATE. The restaurants had sold out before the Governor had moved up the resumption of indoor dining from beginning on Valentines Day, February 14th to beginning on Friday, February 12th, so there are likely openings for indoor dining over the weekend - if not on Valentines Day itself.

But so far that hasn't been true of the outdoor option, which might be ok, depending on the weather. Here are links to Valentine's Day dining in NYC by borough. These restaurants have been updated for CoVid in 2021.

• Bronx Valentines Day restaurants
• Brooklyn Valentines Day restaurants
• Manhattan Valentines Day restaurants
• Queens Valentine Day restaurants
• Staten Island Valentines Day restaurants

Enjoy.

A Snowstorm Drops Over a Foot of Snow on NYC

February 1, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

As usual, the corporate TV stations and TV networks hyped and sensationalized a big fluffy storm, that only decades ago, would have been just another stormy winter day, that all of us kids wished for, so we didn't have to go to school.

But all that has changed, as now a snowstorm just means kids are attending school from home. If one relied on television broadcasters to tell them what's going on in the wintry world, they're likely to have stayed home and inside, out of fear, instead of enjoying one of nature's most magical days.

I think the folks on TV are afraid of the cold and hot and rain and snow, and perhaps life itself ... or is it that they just want you to be afraid, so you'll stay home watching life pass you by on TV, moderated by the knuckleheads who make the big bucks by hyping stories for ratings?

Dunno.

How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists

Rudy Giuliani, Nicknamed America's Mayor by Murdoch's Fox News, Appears to have Helped Incite the Band of Simpleminded Trumpsters to Insurrection

Updated January 11, 2021 from 1.8.21 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

Rising Film Star [Barat2] and Former NYC Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, appears to have devolved into something of a national freak show or farce over the past five years. Perhaps longer. But in the past few months, he's become something of a national disgrace.

Fox News seems to use nicknames for their propaganda assets, like referring to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady' and President Ronald Reagan as the 'Gipper'. Rudy Giuliani seems to be yet another Fox propaganda asset and, as such, is oftentimes referred to as America's Mayor by Fox pundits.

This is not unlike how Murdoch's Fox News nicknames themselves America's Newsroom. This was a trick used by Hitler and Goebbels, using words and images to create the illusion that they, the Nazi Party [in this cae the Fox Nation with red, white and blue colors] was the same as the state - and thus represented all that was right and just. But remember - just because Murdoch's Fox News says it's so - doesn't make it so [like they used to call themselves 'Fair & Balanced' before they started fearing a lawsuit for false advertising]. But, the Australian born billionaire's overwhelming control and / or ownership of America's television media [see our special section on Murdoch and the 21st Propaganda Press on Gotham Buzz] does give him a leg up in attaching and making both good and bad labels stick to people, places and things.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.

I think it's safe to say that the Trump supporters who came to this event came prepared to continue to be misinformed and misled by the con men standing on the stage in front of them. After the speeches the audience mindlessly did as Trump had instructed them, and began marching toward the Capitol - but without their fearful leader [bonespurs acting up again?]. The Trumps and Giuliani were not to be found when the group arrived at the Capitol. What a surprise!

When the Trumpsters reached the barricades in front of the Capitol, the police in charge of protecting it, seemed to give way. What exactly transpired at this juncture we'll find out eventually, but one thing we do know for certain is that Trump didn't deploy as many of the National Guardsmen as he did for his tear gassing photo op with the Bible last summer. So Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to call up more National Guardsmen who eventually secured the Capitol - but not until after it had been ransacked [including one report of defecation].

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists.

Honestly, Just How Simple-minded are Trump Republicans?

Donald J. Trump Raises $200 Million in one Month Based on Unsubstantiated Election Fraud Claims

So Senators Ted Cruz & Josh Hawley - Not Wanting to be Kept out of What Seems a Great Scam - Are Fundraising Based on Their Bid for an Unnecessary Election Audit

January 5, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

Classic con men like Donald J. Trump, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley appeal to certain kinds of people. Too many of them appear to be complete rubes, right out of the old W.C. Fields films ["never give a sucker an even break"].

Most of Trump's, Hawley's and Cruz's 'stop the steal' supporters seem as likely to be sincere in their 'patriotic' Trump / Cruz / Fox News media manipulated intentions, as they are likely to be just plain stupid.

This may help explain why Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and Texas Senator Ted Cruz were so quick to take up the seemingly fraudulent torch of Trump's 'Stop the Steal' campaign. They appear to be staging a phony 'patriotic' effort by objecting to one or more of the contested swing states list of electoral college delegates. The Cruz / Hawley motivation appears to be to put on a show of political theater for an unneeded election audit, in order to fill the Cruz / Hawley campaign coffers with the money of incredibly naive full grown American white men and miscellaneous other Trump Republican donors.

• CLICK here to learn more about what appears a fundraising scam by Josh Hawley Hypocrite and Lyin' Ted Cruz by using Trump's unfounded, likely phony, election fraud claims.

New Years Resolutions 2021: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

January 1, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.

If we stay the course with masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make it to getting vaccinated - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.

The impact of the vaccinations isn't going to happen quickly as Trump's Operation Warp Speed has turned out to be Operation Super Retarded. But Biden takes the reins in another 18 days, and will likely put things back on track, which means we have another six to twelve months before things will begin feeling somewhat normal. The six to twelve months is how long it's estimated that it will take to manufacture, distribute and vaccinate the majority of the 330 million people who live here. The vaccination process alone takes about two months, as there are two shots and a lag time for your body to build the anti-bodies.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on New Years Resolutions 2021 - The Road Ahead.

Holiday Markets & Holiday Tree Lightings NYC

While Still Dialed Down, There's More Going on than I Thought

November 27, 2020 / NYC Shopping / NYC Holiday Events & NYC Holiday Markets / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The following represent an update of the in-person holiday markets and / or the in-person holiday events that will be open this season in all five boroughs.

I found far more going on than I expected ... although admittedly quite a bit less than in prior years ... but that said, there were a few markets or events in each borough.

 

Manhattan Holiday Markets & Holiday Events NYC

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 from 7 - 10 pm there's the Rockefeller Tree Lighting ceremony at 5th Avenue at 48th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Nobody will be allowed in the plaza area, so your best bet of seeing the lights go on at 8 pm are via TV [NBC] from home.

From Saturday, October 30th, 2020 through January 3rd, 2021 the Winter Market at Bryant Park at 6th and 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan is open. Over 100 vendors will be selling their wares from 11 am - 8 pm daily. The market opens at 10 am on the weekends.

From November 16 thru December 24, 2020 the Grand Central Holiday Fair, featuring 40 vendors, has gone virtual at www.grandcentralterminal.com.

Both Union Square and the Columbus Circle holiday markets 2020 won't be open this year.

The weekend of December 4th thru 6th, 2020 the St John the Divine Crafts Fair will go virtual at www.craftsatthecathedral.org. They provide a unique assortment of artistic items, clothing and gifts.

ADD DATES / Chelsea Flea / On Saturdays & Sundays from 8 am - 4 pm at 29 West 25th St.reet between 5th & 6th Aveenues.

ADD DETAILS / Winter Garden at Brookfield Place.

 

Brooklyn Holiday Markets & Holiday Events NYC

On Saturdays from now through December 2020 from 10 am - 4 pm there's the Brooklyn Flea Market under the Manhattan Bridge Archway at the 80 Pearl Street Plaza. Customers and vendors are asked to maintain six-feet of distance, wear a mask and use hand sanitizer.

From Friday, November 27 thru Sunday, December 20, 2020 [Fri / Sat / Sun only] the Makers Show at Citipoint at 445 Albee Square West Brooklyn will be open from 12 noon to 8 pm. They offer crafts, food and drink. You must rsvp via Eventbrite [free] to go and they maintain a number of CoVid protocols.

From Thanksgiving 2020 through New Years 2021 from dusk to 9 pm the Dyker Heights Xmas Lights are burning with joy. The neighborhood holiday lighting extravaganza is located along 11th, 12th and 13th Avenues between 83rd and 86th Streets, and viewing is free.

From December 10 thru 17, 2020 there's the Grand Army Menorah Lighting at Grand Army Plaza beginning respectively at 5 pm / 3.30 pm / 7 pm / 5.30 pm and then 6 pm until Hanukkah is over. In the Prospect Heights / Park Slope neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 10 - 13, 2020 the Brooklyn Ballet will do about 20 minutes of performances of the Nutcracker outside the Jewel Box at 160 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn beginning at 5.30 and 6.30 pm on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and an extra performance at 4.30 pm on Sunday and Saturday performances at 6.30 & 7.30 pm. Free.

ADD TIME / On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays December 3 - 27, 2020, there's the Caribbeing Holiday Market at the LeFrak Center in Prospect Park featuring handmade arts, crafts, jewelry, spices, ornaments.

ADD DATE / Saturday & Sundays only from 10a - 4p Smorgasburg.com Dumbo Holiday Flea _ Vintage and handmade for sale at Dumbo Archway.

The 2020 Handmade Cavalcade is doing online on 11/28 & 11/29 Only.

ON 11/20/20 CANCELLED DUE TO COVID. On Friday, December 4th, the Fort Hamilton Holiday Market & Celebration will be held at 101st Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway at the fort. The event includes a holiday market and tree lighting, but must rsvp. Free admission.

The 2020 Renegade Craft Fairs formerly at the Expo Center in Greenpoint last year has been cancelled til 2021.

The 2020 Bust Craftacular also appears to be on a CoVid hiatus.

 

Queens Holiday Markets & Holiday Events NYC

On December 6th, 2020 from 3 - 5 pm there's the Flushing Holly History Tour on YouTube. Tickets may be purchased for $5 - $35 on Eventbrite.

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden holiday market for 2020 has been cancelled due to CoVid concerns.

 

Bronx Holiday Markets & Holiday Events NYC

On Friday & Saturday, November 27 & 28, Saturdays December 5 & 12, Friday & Saturday December 18 & 19, Saturday, December 26 thru Wednesday, December 30 & Friday January 1, 2021, Saturdays January 2 & 9, 2021 there's the NYBG Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Admission $30 Adults / Kids 2 - 12 $18 - ONLY Available to Members & Bronx Community Partners only this year due to limited capacity.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays November 20, 2020 - January 10, 2021 as well as Christmas Week all days except Xmas Eve & Day and New Years Day, there's the BX Zoo Holiday Lights. Showtimes at 3.30 pm / 5 pm / 6 pm / 7 pm / 8 pm. Admission $35 Adults / $23 Kids / $32 Seniors.

From 11.27 - 1.10.21 no Mondays & Tuesdays except Christmas / New Year week. Not Xmas or New Years Eves. And not 1.4 - 1.7.21. Lumino City at 20 Randall’s Island Park on Randall’s Island. Admission $29 / $25 for Students & Seniors / $17 for kids 3 - 12.

 

Staten Island Holiday Markets & Holiday Events NYC

On Sunday December 13, 2020 beginning at 2 pm there's the Nutcracker on the lawn of the Alice Austen House at 2 Hylan Blvd. Admission is $25.

On Saturday & Sunday, December 5 & 6,  2020 from 11a - 4p there's a Makers Sapce Holiday Market. It's outdoors at MakerPark corner of Thompson & Front Street featuring ten unique vendors with handcrafted and vintage items for sale. CoVid Guidelines in effect for all markets.

ADD WEBSITE URL / Saturdays, November 28 - December 19, 2020 from 4.30 - 8.30 pm there are Historic Richmond Town Candlelight Tours at 441 Clarke Avenue in Richmond County. It costs $120 - $150 per group up to six. Rsvp via their website and CoVid restrictions in place.

On Friday, December 4, 2020 - National Lighthouse Museum Golf Outing at South Shore Golf Course on 200 Hugenot Road. 11.30 am registration and Tee Off Time at 12.30 pm. BBQ included. Admission $125 per golfer.

December 20, 2020 from 1 pm – 4 pm there's a Snug Harbor Wreath Making Workshop. Meet at Visitor Info Booth on Chapel Road at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Admission is $30 Adults, $24 Students/Seniors & $24 Members. Rsvp, no refunds & CoVid guidelines in effect.

CLICK HERE to view our full report on holiday markets & events in Manhattan, holiday markets & events in Queens, holiday markets & events in Brooklyn, holiday markets & events in the Bronx & holiday markets & events on Staten Island.

CLICK HERE to view a 2019 report on Manhattan holiday markets NYC, and here for Queens holiday markets NYC, and here for Bronx holiday markets NYC and here for Brooklyn Holiday Markets, and here for Staten Island Holiday Markets & Shopping NYC.

CLICK HERE to view a 2019 report on & Manhattan holiday events / Manhattan holiday things to do NYC, & Queens holiday events / Queens holiday things to do NYC, Brooklyn Holiday Events / Brooklyn Holiday Things To Do NYC, Staten Island Holiday Events / SI Holiday Things To Do NYC and Bronx holiday events & Bronx holiday things to do NYC.

CoVid NYC Economic Update

NYC Hotels, Restaurants & Entertainment Continue to Feel the CoVid Pain, Also Real Estate & Construction but Less so, and Things Should Gradually Improve in 2021

November 16, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / Business & Real Estate NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

CoVid & Donald Continue Raging

So the CoVid pandemic is raging wildly in the nation, while the Demento in the White House is raging with reckless false claims about the 'rigged election'. The Donald also made these same false claims four years ago, when he won the electoral college contest, but failed to win the popular vote.

This time America's biggest loser lost both the electoral college vote contest and popular vote [by nearly six million], but the fraudster President has found his false claims of a stolen election, is a great way to raise funds from our nation's morons, who somehow still believe his lies. As the saying goes,

"We're all born ignorant. But you have to try really, really hard to remain so."

I consider Donald Trump losing the White House, to be the one silver lining coming out of the CoVid pandemic.

Meanwhile back in NYC, we continue to fare far better than the rest of the nation vis a vis CoVid, perhaps having learned our lessons last Spring. When I look at the CoVid map of the United States, I'm beginning to interpret it as a sort of national I.Q. test. Those places where it's raging most - almost a year since the pandora came out of the box - are states with slow learning media, slow learning government officials and slow learning populations. Otherwise, why would CoVid be raging again, after all that we have learned in the past year?

• CLICK here for the rest of our report on the NYC Economy during the CoVid pandemic in October / November of 2020.

Kentucky Insanity: Voting Repeatedly for Mitch McConnell & Expecting Things to Change

Kentucky Has the 6th Highest Poverty Rate, Ranks 46th in Healthcare, 44th in Education & 45th in Income While

McConnell’s Leadership Enriches Him & his Taiwanese Born Wife, so that Mitch is Now in the Top Ten Wealthiest Senators Club

October 26, 2020 Updated from 10/13 & 10/21/20 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Monday night Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell squared off against challenger former Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath. She, along with another woman, were the first females assigned to the Marine All Weather Attack Squadron.

Televised debates these days, seem to shed little light on the candidates or issues. This may be in part due to the format of them, as well as the failure of the debate moderators to hold the candidates' feet to the fire by pressing them on tough questions, and the current climate of conversational corruption where politicians pretty much say whatever the hell they want to say ... regardless of the truth.

So I did some of my own digging to learn more about Mitch McConnell. What I found surprised me, given how deep the rabbit hole goes and yet how little attention has been given to one of the most powerful men in Washington. So it may surprise you too.

 

DEFINITION OF INSANITY - Repeatedly Doing the Same Thing Expecting a Different Result

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. 

The image at right was found in a web magazine, Forward Kentucky earlier this year. Donald Trump fired FIVE inspectors and among them was one investigating McConnell's wife.

What are they afraid of ... the truth?

And that is exactly what Kentuckians appear to have been doing for decades, having reportedly voted for Mitch in various elections approximately THIRTY TIMES in a row. 

Let’s take a look.

 

RICH MITCH - McConnell is the Longest [Self?] Serving Republican Leader in Senate History

In June 2018, Mitch McConnell became the longest ‘serving’ Senate Republican Leader in the history of the Senate. 

McConnell has been a Kentucky Senator for nearly 36 years, having first taken office in January 1985. 

He’s been the Republican Senate Majority Leader for nearly six years - since January 2015, and the Republican Senate Minority Leader since January 2007 – another eight years and Republican Senate Majority Whip from 2003 - 2007. 

And he’s been ‘serving’ Kentucky as a senator since 1985.

 

POOR KENTUCKY - Kentucky Ranks Near the Bottom in Education, Healthcare and Income

And yet Kentucky has little to show for Mitch's length of service – even though Mitch McConnell keeps telling them how good is for them, as he’s been a member of the elite Republican Leadership for decades.

But McConnell he likes to tell Kentuckians - he's the only top federal political leader who is not from one of the big urban centers on the coasts, even though he’s been living in Washington, D.C. for one helluva lot longer than he ever lived in Kentucky. And he’s married to a Taiwanese born millionairess who has never lived in Kentucky, per se, during the nearly three decades of their blissful married life. 

So what difference does it make where Mitch McConnell claims he is from, if he’s not representing the people of Kentucky?  But rather … representing the big corporate and foreign interests that appear to fund his campaigns and enrich – not the state of Kentucky – but their chosen one, their ‘representative’ Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell.

 

NOT A NATIVE KENTUCKIAN - Why Alabama Born McConnell May not Care About Kentucky

I suspect part of the reason that Mitch McConnell doesn’t care that much about Kentucky, is because he wasn’t born there, and he mostly did not grow up there.  McConnell was born in ALABAMA in 1942, and then – by way of GEORGIA – arrived in KENTUCKY in 1956 at age 14. I think it's worth mentioning that McConnell's great, great grandparents – on both sides - were Alabama slave owners, which we’ll get to shortly.

In 1968 McConnell left Kentucky for the big city, Washington, D.C., for a couple of years.  He returned to Kentucky to run for office in 1971, but failed to meet the Kentucky residency requirement.  In 1974 McConnell left Kentucky again for Washington, D.C. to work in the Ford Administration.  Gerald Ford lost the election in 1976, so McConnell returned to Kentucky to run for office again. This time Kentuckians cut him a break and elected him the Jefferson County Executive, an office he held until he was elected in 1984 to ‘represent’ them as a senator, at which time he departed Kentucky for Washington, D.C. where he's been ever since. 

So all tolled, McConnell only spent about 24 years in Kentucky [1984-1956=28-2-2=24], which is not even a third of his 78 years of life.  And McConnell has spent 36 years ‘representing’ Kentuckians in the big city of Washington, D.C. – where he has lived half again as much time, as he has lived in Kentucky.  So while Mitch doesn’t appear to represent Kentuckians – one has to ask how could he - given he has spent so little time there and it was what seems a lifetime ago?

 

McConnell Received Educational Deferment from Military, Followed by Medical Exemption for Optic Neuritis – Not Polio

According to Wikipedia, after McConnell’s educational deferment from the military expired in 1967, McConnell ‘served’ about a month.  The same report tells us McConnell was diagnosed with optic neuritis – a temporary inflammation in the eye that can cause temporary blindness.  According to a few Google searches, optic neuritis is a common eye problem that self resolves in about four to 12 weeks.  There are severe cases of it, but given McConnell is 78 years old and we’ve heard nary a word of it since his getting out of military service, I suspect his case was 'mild’, not unlike Trump's CoVid case.  McConnell is also said to have contracted polio, but apparently escaped any significant long term impairment, as we see him walking up and down the halls of the Capitol without a problem.

 

MONEY BAGS MITCH - McConnell Supported by Chinese, Russian & Australian Immigrants

In 1984 McConnell became a Kentucky Senator.  And while most Kentuckians don’t like him and neither do most Americans – Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s soon to be media executive, Roger Ailes, ran McConnell's first campaign. Murdoch seems to have been influential in rolling back media regulations beginning around that time, so it wouldn't be a big leap to assume that McConnell helped Murdoch feather his nest through regulatory rollbacks, while Murdoch helped keep McConnell in place as an enabler in hacking through the regulatory environment which had previously held large media corporations in check. Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and in 2019 became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC in an inverted takeover. 

We'll zoom in on why the rich Chinese and Russian born immigrants started backing Mitch McConnell a little further in the story.

 

McConnell Sells Out or Trades in his Old Kentucky Home?

McConnell was married to a Kentucky woman, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 [around the time of his military deferment] to 1980 [around the time he was re-elected but a few years before he hit the big time as a senator beginning in 1984].  In the early years in Kentucky McConnell was considered a liberal leaning moderate [his ex-wife and one or more of his daughters still seem to lean more toward the middle, having oppposed the Brett Kavanaugh SCOTUS confirmation]. 

But McConnell's views seemed to quickly change after he hired Roger Ailes, [who later became Fox News CEO], to run his 1984 Senate campaign. This was followed by McConnell 's social climbing upward mobility when he met and married his new Chinese American wife, who connected his campaign to a multi-million dollar money train. Taiwanese born Elaine Chao's mega millionaire father is well connected to the Chinese Communist Party Leadership, owns a Chinese American Shipping Company, and he and her family have donated millions to McConnell, as well as his and Republican PACs.

 

The Decade McConnell Went From Kentucky Mitch to Shanghai Mitch

Following the 1984 election Rolling Stone story reports McConnell,

“As I always say,” McConnell wrote in his book, “the three most important words in politics are ‘cash on hand.’ ”

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Mitch McConnell corruption? McConnell's wife Elaine Chao corruption? Kentucky Senate race between Amy McGrath and Mitch McConnell.

NYC Economic Update & a Few Things To Do

Voting Registration Online, The Census Payout, CoVid Updates, the Economy & Events

October 2, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather.  The temperature highs will be in the high 60’s and lows in the low to mid 50’s.  There’s a 10% chance of a tiny amount of rain Sunday.  Humidity will be between 50% and 60%.  And winds will be about 5 mph.  All in all not a bad fall weekend.

 

Check Your Voter Registration / Or Register Online Using Link

The last day to register to vote in NYC / NYS is October 9, 2020.  If you’re uncertain you are registered to vote use this link to check - https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/
And if you find you’re not registered or need to change your voter registration [for example if you recently moved] then use this link to register - https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application

I recommend voting in person if you’re at all able, as nearly one in ten mail in votes are disqualified on technical grounds.  If you’re at risk for CoVid or can’t vote in person for any other reason, then vote by mail, making sure you follow all of the guidelines to the letter including sending it in as soon as possible.  There was a huge mail ballot snafu in Brooklyn, so if you live in Brooklyn and received a mail ballot with an incorrect name on either the ballot or envelope, contact the Board of Elections for a new one.

 

Fill in the Census: We’re Lagging the Nation so We Could Lose a Lot of Federal Funding

There’s been a struggle over lengthening the time allowed for census takers to obtain census information.  The original deadline was July 31st, which was extended to October 31st, which was shortened to September 30th, which was stayed until Sunday, October 4th.  And today it was re-extended to October 31st. Given the back and forth I recommend filling it out right now, if you haven’t already.

Each person counted in the census is worth about $30,000 to $40,000 per person in federal funding for schools, hospitals, mass transit, law enforcement and social services.  And it only takes ten minutes, which you can do now by clicking the photo at right.  It’s the most amount of money you’ll likely ever make for the time expended in your life, so please do it for yourself, your family and / or your community. Here's the link to the census.

https://my2020census.gov?utm_source=queensbuzz

NYC and NYC lag the rest of the nation in filling out the census, which means we won’t get a proper share of funds and representation in Washington if folks don’t fill out the census and quickly.  Currently just under 64% of New Yorkers have filled out the census, while in the state of Utah just under 71% have filled out the census.  That’s a lot of cash in federal funding we’re leaving on the table.

 

Events & Things To Do in NYC & Cancellations

The International Center of Photography opened its doors on Thursday, October 1st with a new photo exhibit about CoVid.  The exhibit uses photographs collected from around the boroughs, the state, the nation and around the world.  You have to rsvp a spot online at icp.org and adherence to CoVid guidelines is required.

In October a number of normally huge events have gone online including the following. 

The NY Film Festival at Lincoln Center went online beginning September 17th and runs through October 11th - https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2020/ 

Comic Con has gone online for the weekend of October 8th – 11th.

Swimming at indoor pools is now possible effective Wednesday, September 30th at 33% capacity and with CoVid guidelines in place. 

The Rockettes Holiday kickoff and season of performances has been cancelled for this year.  They will participate in some manner in the blended online / staged Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the CoVid Pandemic in NYC including eviction extensions, CoVid layoffs, unemployment & hiring, CoVid Characteristics, Restaurants, Hospitality, Arts & Culture, Census 2020.

Triumph of The [Rupert's] Will: How Murdoch Manipulates Voter's Perceptions & Public Policy

Australian born Billionaire Appears to use his Media Outlets to Shape Voter's Views, Loading them with Misconceptions, So They'll Elect Compromised Fox Nation Pols, Who Upon Assuming Office, Seem to Reward Murdoch's Media Support, by Crafting Public Policy to Conform to Murdoch's Will, Favoring his Business Interests

September 4, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

As mentioned previously, I've been doing a fairly deep dive into learning as much about the Third Reich and Nazi Germany as time permits, in order to more fully understand what's happening in present day events.

Media Manipulation for Fun & Profit

I began noticing similarities between Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's manipulative use of his large share of Amerian media in 2016, to what Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda for the Nazis, did beginning in the 1920's until his end in 1945. On May 1, 1945 Goebbels poisoned his children, his wife and himself as the Allied forces neared his home. Hitler and his companions had committed suicide the day before, as Allied forces invaded Berlin. None of them had the courage to stand trial for their crimes against humanity ... although like Mussolini, they may not have made it to court.

 

1. Did Fox 'News' Attempt to Protect the Reputation of a Propaganda Asset via Omission?

So today, we're going to look at just a few of Murdoch's media manipulations made in just the past couple of months - and I'm nearly certain that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, I don't have the resource to fact check what is the largest misleading news content producing organization in the nation, and possibly the free world.

Let's start with the first two photos on this page. This story broke in the Guardian on July 7, 2020.

The first photo shows Fox News 'reporting the news' regarding the sexcapades of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell. In the first photo, Fox News conveniently cropped out Donald Trump. In the second photo [at right] we have the 'full picture' aka the truth.

The man who calls everyone else a 'sleezeball' is seen with Melania 'being best', and two of the people alleged to be among some of the sleeziest on the planet [Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell]. Do birds of a feather flock together?

So we must ask why Rupert Murdoch would crop Donald Trump out of the photo? Is it to avoid portraying the Donald in a negative light in order to keep him - a Murdoch asset - in office?

Trump appears to have been a boon to billionaire Murdoch through massive billionaire tax cuts funded by debt to be paid for by America's children and unborn? Or is because Trump's actions in the Middle East vis a visIsrael seemed to serve to legitimize Murdoch's investment in Genie Energy in the illegally occupied Syrian Golan Heights? Or was it because Trump loosened up the FCC ownership limits for mega media companies like Murdoch's thus allowing the few to control our media, which givens them the power to influence the national democratic conversation - and in Murdoch's case - it seems the power to corrupt it in order to profit from it. Or was it because Trump famously fired all U.S. Attorneys, including Preet Bharara - who was investigating Murdoch's companies for sexual harrassment and phone hacking - less than 24 hours after Sean Hannity on Fox News told him to do just that? Perhaps most importantly, Trump's Attorney General Bill Barr, greenlighted the merger of Disney / ABC, which was an inverted takeover resulting in Rupert Murdoch becoming Disney / ABC's largest shareholder.

• CLICK here to read our report on NYPBA police union endorsement of Trump seems out of step with the union rank and file, as well as the NYPD and NYC - but Murdoch's NY Post provides propaganda cover.

Democracy in Action: Blue Lives, Black Lives, All Lives Matter in Queens & NYC

A Blue Lives Matter Parade Met by a Black Lives Matter Protest

August 23, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / Social Issues NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Saturday morning around 11 am a Blue Lives Matter parade began on Greenpoint Avenue and 39th Street in Sunnyside Queens.  I arrived shortly after it began and followed it up to Joseph Sabba Park where several people were to give speeches to the parade participants and attendees.

 

As the parade arrived at Joseph Sabba Park they were met by a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who were kneeling on the sidewalk holding placards making Black Lives Matter statements.  The Blue Lives Matter parade participants paused as they came in direct contact.  As I sat there video recording the ‘confrontation’ I wondered whether things might take a turn for the worse and go badly.

 

Blue Lives Matter Parade & Speakers Queens NYC

Whoever was leading the Blue Lives Matter parade, wisely led the Blue Lives Matter parade around the Black Lives Matter protesters - rather than risking walking through them - where someone on one side or another might have escalated the tension to a higher level.

The Blue Lives Matter parade participants and attendees settled in the middle of Joseph Sabba Park and the speeches began.  The first speaker, whose name I didn’t catch, spoke supportively of the police and the important work they do in the community.  He struck a human chord, noting that the men and women who serve in the police force are dedicated to serving the community, among whom are their own families and children.  He ended saying we’re all human.

The second speaker struck a more passionate Blue Lives Matter tone, remarking that the ‘Diaphragm’ Law hindered police from doing their jobs. The Diaphragm Law allows police officers to be subject to a misdemeanor if they constrict a person’s diaphragm in the process of making an arrest.

What I recorded of both of these speeches will be shown in the video.

The signs of the Blue Lives Matter parade participants also showed a range of thoughts and emotions, ranging from striking a supportive and yet harmonious chord, while others were defiantly in support of the police – seeming to ignore the validity of the Black Lives Matter social unrest.  They included Enough with the hate, respect goes both ways, to Reform is for criminals, drug addicts and sex offenders.

• CLICK here for our report on Black Lives Blue Lives All Lives Matter & the role of Pat Lynch union head of the NYPBA police union.

George Floyd Protest Cinematography, Music & Narrative

June 12, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues & Crime / News Analysis & Opinion /  Gotham Buzz NYC.

The video below is an interpretive depiction of a protest event in McCarren Park early last week. The piece is  meant to be savored - like food, music and cinematography.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the George Floyd Pink Floyd protests in Brooklyn, Manhattan & Bronx NYC and George Floyd protest videos.

George Floyd & Pink Floyd

Trying to Make Sense in a Senseless World

May 28, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / CoVid in NYC Special Section / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I watched the George Floyd protests unfold on the nightly TV newscasts for a couple of days before venturing out myself to see what I might learn. The protests began on Friday, May 29th in NYC, following the death of George Floyd, an African American who was asphyxiated, apparently due to a Minneapolis policeman holding a knee over George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes which was caught on video.

TV News Appears to Sensationalize More than Inform 

On Saturday night Fox News ran and reran the same footage multiple times of a car burning, seeming to hype and sensationalize the footage into a full blown ‘riot’. The a lot of the Fox footage was taken from the air, in a helicopter which they lease (reportedly) for millions annually, which again repeatedly showed video of the crowd below, which appeared to be mostly our men in blue. So given little good video, they talked about groups dallying into the police and back again – but really didn’t seem to have any video to support their claims. The next day Mayor de Blasio reported that there were no deaths and no serious injuries to members of the NYPD or the crowd. But there was some looting.

An NBC news account made the situation seem far more chaotic than it was by shaking the camera, providing the appearance of chaos. And so on.

More Photos & Video Coming Wednesday

Covering the George Floyd Protests in NYC from the Ground - Not from a Cushy Corporate Media Chopper   

The ‘crisis’ seemed to be more manufactured by the TV news, than by what was actually happening on the streets, which is why I decided I needed to cover this myself. Second hand TV news seems increasingly like garbage news, but before I could make such a claim, I had to see for myself.

Having grown up in a newspaper family, I’ve been watching the news and presentation of it all of my life, beginning with the Kennedy assassination, which my father made all of us watch as he said it was history in the making. Back then the news was owned by dozens, if not hundreds of independent newspapermen and broadcasters, so like social media, there was a variety of news presentations and you could pick from them.

Today large multi-billion dollar corporations control most of the news we see, and it seems their focus is largely centered around profit driven ratings instead of a fair and balanced presentation of the news. This is why they seem to hype, sensationalize and distort Americans’ perceived reality in order to keep them glued to the tube. And the hyping and sensationalizing is not getting better – it’s getting worse.

No longer can you turn on the TV to be informed, but rather to be scared, angered and far too often – to become disinformed.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the George Floyd Pink Floyd protests in NYC.

Many NYC Farmers Markets are Open

Farmers Markets are Essential Businesses, Provide Fresh Food & a Nice Outing

May 1, 2020 / NYC Shopping / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last weekend, on Saturday, I ventured out to enjoy the beautiful weather. I was not alone, as for the first time in a month and a half there were a number of people moving about the neighborhood.

I headed down to the farmers market to see what that looked like under the new normal. The food looked fresh, and there was plenty of it - although this was in mid morning.

The experience wasn't much different than what you'd expect. People wore face masks and there were lines created by social distancing. I was glad to see that farmers markets are essential businesses, as it augments a strained food supply chain, and provides folks with an opportunity to get out of the house in about as safe an environment as you can get. Here's a link to the dates, times, locations and selection of the 2020 Queens farmers markets, Staten Island Farmers Markets, Brooklyn Farmers Markets, Manhattan Farmers Markets and Bronx Farmers Markets.

I can't say people were smiling, not just because their faces were covered by masks, but there's been a gradual mood deterioration as we pass the second rent due date of the CoVid pandemic. Many people aren't standing in the farmers market social distancing line, but rather standing in food pantry lines. And for many, their economic fates are up for grabs, as we collectively try to navigate our way back to work. Many believe that economic activity is likely to be dampened by the CoVid pandemic for some time to come.

On the bright side, the Governor and the Mayor announced plans to begin daily sanitization of the MTA subway system beginning Wednesday, May 6th. The plan is to close the terminal stations of the subway lines from 1 am to 5 am, daily - providing shuttle buses to and from the last stop for passengers. And then, in those four wee hours of the morning, the NYPD and NYC social services will swoop into clear out the homeless population that has started making the subway their new home. It seems a good and humane plan.

Sanitizing the subway lines should go a long way toward preparing us to get back to the new normal by helping to dampen - if not eradicate - the transmission of the CoVid virus. This collaborative effort by both the Mayor and the Governor will help all of us to get back to work and play. So things are moving in the right direction, albeit not at a viral pace.

Have a nice weekend. The weather is going to be in the 70's during the day and 50's at night. And no rain, but some clouds.

A Stuttering Biden or An Intransigent Bernie? Democrats Choice: A Stuttering Biden or An Intransigent Bernie? Most Folks Don't Know that Biden has a Stuttering Handicap which is Why he doesn't do so Well in Debates & his 'Circumlocution' Remedy is Likely the Primary Cause of his Verbal Gaffes Most Sanders Supporters Probably Haven't Taken a Look at Sanders' Record of Accomplishment which During his 29 Years in Congress is Comprised of his Leadership on Only Three Passed Senate Bills - Two of Which were Naming Post Offices March 9, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / National Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. This past week, as we all watched the Democratic race for the presidency unfold, we witnessed a bit of history. Former Vice President Joe Biden's incredible comeback from what seemed like a campaign on life support, ended with him sweeping the south and decisively winning victories in most of the states up for grabs on Super Tuesday. Biden's Coalition - The Moderates, The Working Class & The Realists But like all victories, Biden didn't do it alone. Biden first received a boost via the endorsement of Congressman James Clyburn only days before the South Carolina primary. On Monday, Amy Klobuchar ended her campaign and endorsed Biden, followed shortly that same day by Pete Buttigieg, who had ended his campaign a day earlier. And Beto O'Rourke reappeared, to throw his support behind Biden in Texas. As a result, Biden became the front runner, eclipsing Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders following Biden's electoral sweep on Super Tuesday. One might say that this demonstrates the biggest difference between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Joe has been able to bring many of his former challengers into his tent, while Bernie Sanders has not. Don't get me wrong. I like Bernie Sanders. I think he has great integrity, he is a strong advocate for the working class, and he has clearly demonstrated that he has an admirable talent for running an organization during his two presidential bids. But the difference between Sanders and Biden is that Sanders appears to be a purest ... an ideologue ... someone who does not compromise. And people who don't compromise can make great thought leaders, but they rarely - if ever - make great leaders. Great Leaders Know How To Compromise & That's How They Get Things Done Leaders need to make compromises in order to get things done. They generally don't get everything they want because vested interests will do everything in their power to thwart them when they try. So what real leaders do, is stake out the next evolution, by moving the ball a bit forward, hoping that someone else will pick it up at a later date and move it forward again. CLICK here to read the rest of our report on Joe Biden is a Stutterer & Bernie Sanders Legislative Record. The report includes: 1) a synopsis of an Atlantic report whereby a journalist who has a stutter followed Biden on the campaign trail and shared his insights with us, 2) a look at Sanders legislative record by another reporter writing in the Washington Post, and 3) a Case Study in leadership regarding moving the nation forward through compromise.

Closure of Rikers Island Moves Another Step Forward

In Oct 2019 NYC Council Designated Neighborhood Jail Locations in Four Boroughs

Community Board One in Astoria Only Approved the Closure of Rikers Island

January 26, 2020 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Politics / Bronx Politics & Government / Queens Buzz NYC & Bronx Buzz NYC.

A week ago, on Tuesday, January 21st I attended the Community Board One meeting at the Astoria World Manor where the board was asked to approve the closing of the Rikers Island Detention Facility effective sometime before the end of the year 2026.

The photo at right was taken from an airplane while landing at LaGuardia in a prior year. Rikers Island Correctional Facility is a stone's throw away from LGA.

 

Queens Community Board One in Astoria Votes on Rikers Closure

The presentation consisted of two slides. One highlighted the social / moral blight that Rikers Island had become. The second slide simply proposed the request in very limited terms - the closing of Rikers Island and the conversion of it to a ‘public place’. The presentation to the Committee was done by a team lead by Dana Kaplan, Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.

So please note that the Community Board had no role in the placement of neighborhood jails, nor did they sign off on anything that may become of Rikers Island going forward. They only approved the closing of the Correctional Facility and the allowance of use for it as a "public place".

I spoke with CB1 District Manager Florence Kolouris after the meeting about what exactly that meant. She told me that there isn’t any definition, per se, given for public place – but a couple of examples of prior public places include Lincoln Center, Fort Totten and Queens Borough Hall.

The Community Board approved the measure with a recommendation that CB1 be kept in the loop throughout the closing process, including any demolition. Plenty of questions followed regarding what would become of the 400 acre island. Nothing concrete was proposed at this time, but the audience was assured that any changes would have to come through the Community Board via the ULURP process [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure].

 

The Bronx & Queens - Rikers Island Community Jurisdiction & Prison Population

It’s worth noting that technically Rikers Island is a part of the Bronx – not Queens – even though the only road traveling onto the island originates in the Astoria / East Elmhurst neighborhoods of Queens. In addition to Queens Community Board One, Bronx Community Board Two, representing the Hunts Point neighborhood, also has influence over the island. Since the Dinkins Administration in the 1990's, there's been a floating barge facility that's docked in Hunts Point, that is considered a part of the Rikers Island Correctional Facility.

Currently there are an estimated 7,000 plus inmates on Rikers Island. At its height, in 1991, Rikers Island held an estimated overcapacity inmate population of nearly 22,000. By the time the facility is to be closed in 2026, the inmate population is expected to have declined to between 3,000 and 4,000.

The photo at right shows the Rikers Island Correctional Facility which will be closed by the end of 2026.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Rikers Island closing in Queens & the Bronx approved by Community Board One in Astoria / Queens. The designated Rikers replacement jail sites in four of the five boroughs was approved in an October NYC Council meeting.

BROOKLYN / NYC MARATHON 2019

NYC Marathon in Brooklyn Queens Manhattan Bronx Staten Island NYC Marathon 2019 NYC Marathon Coming Through All Five Boroughs New York Road Runners 49th NYC Marathon on Sunday October 29, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / Gotham Buzz NYC. The New York Road Runners / NYRR is hosting its 49th NYC Marathon on Sunday. The NYRR was founded in 1958 and has been organizing the NYC Marathon since 1970. The proceeds from the race go toward the programs of the runner non-profit. They report that the NYRR serves 670,000 people, of which 250,000 are youth, annually. There are plenty of festivities this week surrounding the affair. Some are held at the NYRR Run Center [NYRR headquarters] at 320 West 57th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan, while others are held at the NYC Marathon Pavilion in Central Park at 67th Street and Central Park West, near the Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. The other pre-race activities [see location addresses above] include a discussion on Tuesday about the NYC Marathon Book Club from 6 - 8 pm at the NYC Marathon Pavilion. On Wednesday there's a forum of Celebrity Charity Runners who talk about why they are running at the NYC Marathon Pavilion from 7 - 8 pm. On Thursday evening between 6 and 7 pm the NYRR presents the awards for the NYRR Hall of Fame inductees at the NYC Marathon Pavilion. On Friday at the NYRR Run Center there's an NYRR Running History Tour which runs from 10 - 11.30 am. The pre-race festivities culminate the Saturday evening before the race, when there's an early dinner [3.30 - 8.30 pm] for the runners at the NYC Marathon Pavilion that is prepared by the chefs from Tavern on the Green. They call it the Marathon Eve Dinner. It has a sort of holiday ring to it. CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the NYC Marathon in Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island.

Casa Belvedere and the Festa & Motori D'Italia

9th Annual Festa & Motori D'Italia Keeps the Engine Running on All Cylinders

September 23, 2019 / Grymes Hill Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.

I attended the Festa & Motori D'Italia at the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere on Staten Island. The following video captures most of what I experienced - save for the delicious aromas floating in the air.

Greta Thunberg at Climate Strike in Battery Park NYC 2019

Tens of Thousands Showed for the Climate Strike - NBC Estimated 60,000

September 20, 2019 / Downtown NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

I attended the Climate Strike in Battery Park Friday late afternoon. It was a beautiful day and thousands had shown up to rally support for changing how we live in order to avert the disaster of irreparably destroying the ecosystem which supports life on the planet. Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg was there and spoke at the rally. The video below provides views of the crowd, some of their signs, a poetry performance, a musical performance and some of Greta's remarks. Stay tuned next week as the United Nations meets and Greta visits the U.N. to implore them to take action.

CRIME

BRONX NEIGHBORHOODS

Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island

69th Annual Art Show Organized by the Staten Island Museum

October 1, 2019 / Randall Manor Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.

I attended the 69th Annual Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island on Saturday. The show included about 150 exhibiting artists, primarily from Staten Island, but also neighboring NYC boroughs and New Jersey. There were food and beverage vendors, an accomplished jazz group - the Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble - as well as plenty of interesting artworks that ranged from ceramics, to clothing and jewelry, to all sorts of art on canvass and other materials. The crowd the show attracted was also an eclectic group of art lovers, art exhibitors and curious Staten Islanders [it's free admission]. See video to take in a couple of minutes of the ambiance of the show.

Only in Queens: The U.S. Open & the USTA

Intergenerational Tennis Wins: Nadal Defeats Medvedev & Andreescu Defeats Williams

September 10, 2019 / Flushing Neighborhood / Sports in Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.

In the week leading up to the U.S. Open the USTA opens its doors to the Flushing, Queens and NYC community. They host a number of tennis related events, and provide opportunities for those who visit to watch the pros practice on the courts. The week culminated in Arthur Ashe Kid Day at the end of the week and families from the NYC metro area, most notably Queens come in droves to take in the rich atmosphere of the newly renovated USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

I had the opportunity to visit this year, which was enhanced by being able to photograph and video a shirtless Rafael Nadal - who won the men’s title this year, complete with ripped abs - while practicing. See video later in the story.

• CLICK - renovated USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Queens for story about the $60 millon in renovations completed in 2018 and about the 2019 U.S. Open. The report includes video of Rafael Nadal practicing in the week prior to the U.S. Open when the public is welcome to visit the USTA and watch practices for free.

NYC BOROS HISTORY

NYC Governement & Politics

 RESTAURANTS NYE / HALLOWEEN / ST PATS

NYC Farmers Markets & Street Fairs NYC

Brooklyn, Staten Island Farmers Markets & Street Fairs as Well as Queens, Bronx & Manhattan

March 23, 2019 / Staten Island Famers Markets / Brooklyn Farmers Markets / Brooklyn Street Fairs / Staten Island St Fairs / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A few Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets may be open year round, but most of them are seasonal. Some of the seasonal Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets usually begin opening in May, with the rest of them opening in June or no later than the first couple of weeks in July. Click here to view the schedules of many of the farmers markets in Brooklyn and here for the farmers markets in Staten Island.

Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs, on the other hand, are entirely seasonal. Some of them hit the streets as early as April. The number of Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs rises during the late spring and continues through the dog days of summer [July / August], including into the late part of the Fall. By late October / the end of November the Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs go on hiatus, with a few returning as early as April. Click here to view a full schedule of the Brooklyn street fairs and also Staten Island street fairs.

Click here for Brooklyn tile stores.

* REAL ESTATE

short GB MB Bx SB fp & add to QB _ NYC Landlord Harassments Continue

NYCCM Helen Rosenthal Hosts Housing Clinic to Inform Renters of Their Rights

May 29, 2018 / Upper West Side Neighborhood / Manhattan Real Estate / Manhattan Neighborhoods / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

MB - S.

On Wednesday, May 25th I went to the Goddard Riverside Community Center on Columbus Avenue at 88th Street to attend a housing clinic designed to inform renters of their rights.

***The following introduction is based on prior research done by me, and was not information provided at the housing clinic. I'll let you know when I segue out of my preamble and into the housing clinic.***

Over the past decade landlords appear to have become increasingly aggressive in trying to wriggle out of NYC and NYS rent stabilization regulations, that govern the rental payments under which about two million New Yorkers live.

It is my understanding that the government contributed land and / or financing to build or repair the buildings governed by NYC / NYS rent stabilization laws in exchange for the pricing rights on rent stabilized units. Many of the new landlords who have acquired rent stablized buildings, may possibly be in violation of approaching their business contract(s) in good faith, as the definition of good faith according to Wikipedia is:

"In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract. It is implied in every contract in order to reinforce the express covenants or promises of the contract. A lawsuit (or a cause of action) based upon the breach of the covenant may arise when one party to the contract attempts to claim the benefit of a technical excuse for breaching the contract, or when he or she uses specific contractual terms in isolation in order to refuse to perform his or her contractual obligations, despite the general circumstances and understandings between the parties. When a court or triar or fact interprets a contract, there is always an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in every written agreement."

What is at stake, throughout the city, is literally hundreds of millions and more likely billions of dollars in - rental benefits or rental income streams - depending on which side of the struggle you're on. The landlords appear to be trying - using the torturtous side effects of construction including noise, health risk dust [inhalation], privacy loss and apartment functional loss - to wrest away the billions of dollars of rental pricing rights benefits from tenants to be pocketed by the landlords themselves. Given the high dollar value of what's at stake - including people's homes - this seems like attempted grand larceny, especially in cases where landlords are breaking the law to achieve their goals.

This will be continued at a later date. Including the segue into the information provided by the Housing Clinic to inform tenants of their rights.

Tenants' Rights March & Rally - June 14th Midtown at 4.30 pm

P.S. There's a March & Rally scheduled for June 14th, beginning at 4.30 pm, at the NY Public Library at 5th Avenue and 40th Street. They plan to march to Governor Cuomo's office at 3rd Avenue and East 41st Street. For details contact info@realrentreform.org or call 212.979.6958. All but one of the No IDC NY senatorial candidates have been invited to participate, and there's a possibility that NYS gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon will be there too - as this seems to coincide with her reasons for challenging Governor Cuomo.

NY Real Estate Expo

NYC Professionals Discuss Manhattan & NYC Metro Real Estate

April 23, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / Manhattan Real Estate NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I attended the 10th annual NY Real Estate Expo at the New York Hilton last week. The event was well attended by hundreds of real estate, development and financial professionals from the NYC and metro area. Anthony Kazazis, Director of the event, had organized a series of panels to discuss key aspects affecting the real estate market ranging from software platforms, to financing, to NYC real estate market assessments.

Generally the mood was upbeat, but not without some concern about the future, given changes in the tax laws, foreign interest in NYC investment, interest rates forecasts and technological challenges facing the industry. But, I thought, that is why everyone is here. To find out what's going on so they can navigate the market changes - rather than be surprised by them.

While I had intended to stay only a short while, I found the topics and panelists too interesting to leave, so I stayed most of the day. I started with a discussion of a new information technology platform called Blockchain, which is intended to serve as an information clearing house, and it includes some artificial intelligence capability. I then found my way into a discussion about New York City versus Silicon Valley with respect to attracting large technology companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google. And I ended my visit after listening in on a discussion by NYC and metro area realtors discuss the residential real estate market in Manhattan and outer boroughs.

Sound like an interesting NYC real estate conference? It was. In the photo above you can see the audience at the well attended panel discussions at the NY Real Estate Expo this year.

I'll have more on this later in the week.

Empire State of Mind at Global Citizen Concert in Central Park

Thousands Came Together for the Global Citizen Concert in Central Park Saturday Night

October 1, 2019 / UES & UWS Neighborhoods NYC / Manhattan Things To Do / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

I attended the Global Citizens Concert in Central Park Saturday night. It was a beautiful evening and thousands had come to enjoy the music and performances of famous musicians and groups including Queens, Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Pharrell Williams, John Batiste & Stay Human, Carole King and emcees like Hugh Jackman. And all for a good cause, as Global Citizen seeks to support positive change in society for all people on the planet.

 * HOLIDAYS - THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving Day - America's Communal Holiday NYC Thanksgiving - America's Communal Holiday The Pilgrims Legacy: Love, Sharing & Community Empowerment November 23, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / Thanksgiving Holidays in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC. A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read. The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity. Unselfish Parental Love Manifested by Empowering Progeny Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children. Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling. I. A Brief Thanksgiving History The Pilgrims Shared Communal Resources to Actualize a Dream At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours. The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors. Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it? CLICK here for the rest of the story about Thanksgiving Day sentiments in NYC.

Rupert Murdoch & the Rise of the Propaganda Press: Fox News Propaganda Machine NY Post Fake News K. Rupert Murdoch & the Rise of the Propaganda Press This Section is Dedicated to Preserving One Man One Vote Democracies by Exposing What Appears to be Murdoch's Life's Work in Propaganda October 10, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz. In the Spring of 2016, while watching the Bernie Sanders campaign unfold, I noticed that the 'mainstream media' was showing what seemed to be tangible bias in favor of Hillary Clinton. This prompted my first story about the Bernie Sanders campaign & phenomenon, and made me aware of how the mainstream media appeared to treat him unfairly. After the New York Primary, I noticed a relentless onslaught of attacks by Rupert Murdoch's NY Post on Mayor de Blasio. The attacks were based on allegations and innuendo, and sometimes included as many as five attack stories per day. Their relentless attacks based on allegations and innuendo outraged my sense of decency and fair play, so I began a study of the NY Post reporting bias which resulted in the second story of this series. While doing the de Blasio / NY Post story, I couldn't help but notice a wide ranging pattern of what appeared to be a rampant abuse of First Amendment power by Keith Rupert Murdoch and his organization, including breaking laws, invading people's privacy, and bribing public officials. While these activities were uncovered in Britain, it's not a stretch to think that given the same man, Murdoch, is controlling the Newscorp & 21st Century Fox global media empire, that these same sorts of nefarious activities might be going on here as well. In fact, people responsible for management oversight of the tainted operations were subsequently given high ranking positions in this country. As the Republican and Democratic Conventions of 2016 approached, I decided that the time period surrounding the political party conventions, up through the general election in November, would provide me with a good case study period to evaluate whether and how Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post and other assorted media properties, including the Wall Street Journal and the National Geographic, might be used as propaganda outlets. In doing the context research, I found America's and Britain's media laws had been rewritten and loosened over time. In numerous cases I noticed that Keith Rupert Murdoch, all too often appeared to be in close proximity to the politicians changing those laws - almost always having supported them with his media properties - and at least in one case - even making personally direct donations to their campaigns. I dug a bit further and found that there are few 'real' media laws of the books in Australia, where Murdoch is no longer a citizen. In spite of his status as a foreigner he reportedly owns 64% of that nation's daily newspapers and has a controlling interest in the nation's satellite TV system. I did some cursory research and it's not a stretch to think that Murdoch may have gotten his start influencing the re-writing of a nation's media laws there. I also found what appeared to be a striking pattern of Murdoch manipulations and moves that seemed to come straight out of the political and propaganda playbook written by two of the earliest, most successful, and most evil practitioners of modern mass market propaganda - Adolph Hitler and Joseph Goebbels. Hitler and Goebbels came to my attention because I found that I really could not even begin to understand modern propagandist techniques without studying Hitler and Goebbels in Germany in the 1930's. Hitler's skillful use of propaganda appears to have hastened his ascent to power, and enabled him to keep his grip on it. These two men are the fathers of modern propaganda, and it appears that Keith Rupert Murdoch has adopted and updated their propagandist techniques to serve his own interests. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So please read on. Click here to view our report about the state of media coverage of the 2016 election. Or click here to continue on with this story about Keith Rupert Murdoch & the rise of the propaganda press / media madness/ corrupt Fox News / NY Post.

Dysfunctional Donald: The Trump Presidency The American Presidency & Dysfunctional Donald Trump This Section is Dedicated to Informing the American Public about the Democracy Destroying Donald Updated October 10, 2021 from 9/16/20 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis, Opinion & Satire / Gotham Buzz. Beginning in late 2016 I began to start paying attention to some of the crazy stories floating around about Donald Trump. At first the stories seemed almost unbelievable tales of someone competing to become president of the United States, but the more I dug, the more I found, and eventually the evidence of who this man was and is, almost frightened me when pausing to consider that he had and still has control of the most powerful government apparatus in the world. Empires and civilizations come and go because those who worked hard to build them are not the same people who inherit them. And the people who inherit them are oftentimes unappreciative of the hard work and thought that went before them. We're too close, to my way of thinking, of squandering the gifts that were left to us by our forbears because we have not paid attention to all of the malfeasance and corruption that today is so much a part of government and the media we rely on to inform us. I've began running a series on what I view as the most egregious threat coming from the media in the series on Rupert Murdoch and the Rise of the Propaganda Press, which I had at first titled Murdoch Media Madness. This series is a compendium of reports I've published on the presidency of the dysfunctional Donald. The graphic above showing Rupert Murdoch's Fox Fake News celebrating the billionaire tax cut of December 2017 includes my take on things in red. CLICK here to view our report about the U.S. Presidency of Dysfunctional Donald.

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